One of the best books,I've read in awhile about WWII.
The book focuses on three young ladies from different walks of life,living their lives,thru much joy and sadness.
One is Jewish and with her mother is trying to pass.
Another has been sent to live with her aunt and uncle after her mother dies,and they only want to marry her off to an officer high up in the SS.
The third is the daughter of a couple,who aren't as high up in the German Institution,as they'd like and their daugter isn't very helpful in snagging a highly ranked officer for a son-in-law.
They all three become friends in inusual ways,but when.it counts are there for each other.
Two of the three make it to the US.one before the War ends and one after.
The third is suspected of giving info.to enemies of Germany and disappears,much to the sorrow of the other two.
You,will enjoy this book,as it will hold your interest,from.the very first few.pages.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book and to the author "Aimie K.Runyan" for writing it.

I love a good historical fiction story, and Runyan has yet to disappoint me with her offerings. Bonus points for sending me off to research things I didn't know about prior to this story. My only real gripe is that the blurb is actually about the last third of the story, which I felt was a bit misleading. But the entire story was enjoyable, and that's the key point in any book. This is an author I will always read due to her diligence in research and her ability to keep the reader engaged.

My thanks to William Morrow, the author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Aimie K Runyan's The School for German Brides is a hard to put down book!

Hanna, Hilde, and Klara live in Germany in 1938. The rise of Hitler's power affects each girl in a different way. The story gives a unique perspective with the juxtaposition of the Hilde's Jewish experience and Hanna's reluctance to become a model SS wife. The paths of the three young women intersect and together they endure the rise of the Nazi movement.

I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

Aimie K. Runyan has written another extraordinary historical fiction novel, further cementing her reputation as one of the best authors of that genre. In this book she has transported us to Germany in the late 1930’s, when the atrocities against Jews, immigrants, and “others” are becoming rampant. Thrust in the middle of this era are two young German women; Hanna, whose life becomes entrenched in the world of being a proper German wife to an SS officer; and Tilde, a German Jewish woman whose way of life, her home, her loved ones, and her own life could be torn from her at any moment. Each of their stories are equally compelling and filled with heartache; both women are fighting the misogyny, prejudice and expectations of that time, with the backdrop of the war and Hitler’s Germany making it nearly impossible for them to escape. I worried about them, I cheered for them, I wept for them, I was proud of them for all of the ways they tried to make a difference for others as well as themselves. I couldn’t help but wonder how many more Hanna’s there were during the war, women who had little choice but to toe the line, outwardly being the perfect German wife—but inside churning with a desperation to flee that life, to find a way to help those whose lives were destroyed by their powerful, brutal husbands? And isn’t that the beauty of good historical fiction; to see beyond the facts and figures, to live alongside the characters in a book to gain understanding and compassion, for the real, complex people who lived through these events?

This was a very captivating WWII story told from the perspective of 2 different women. Hanna, a German teenager sent to live with her Aunt and Uncle, who are upper class and friends with the Nazi movement and Tilde, a German Jewish teenager trying to survive and save her mother. Both women provided different perspectives and their stories wound up intertwining in a very interesting a beautiful way. I really enjoyed seeing the story from two different viewpoints. Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for the ARC.

This was a wonderful story that kept me on edge throughout. It is the story of Hanna and Tilde. It is the story of heartbreak, human suffering, war, death and above all resilience!

Many thanks to Netgalley and William Morrow and Custom House, William Morrow Paperbacks for this advanced readers copy. This book is scheduled to release on April 26, 2022.

The author is a masterful historical fiction writer, as evidenced by this gripping tale of young women in Germany in 1939.

Hanna is from a prominent Nazi family and forced to attend a bride school before she weds an older SS officer. She is a spirited independent thinker, and this arranged engagement and all the Nazis stand for go against her deepest beliefs.

When she discovers a young pregnant Jewish woman hiding, she knows she must help her even at great risk to herself.

The story totally captured me and left me asking: "Would I have the courage to do the right thing?"

The best books leave me pondering searing questions, and The School for German Brides did just that. Highly recommended for histfic fans, those interested in pre-WWII, and anyone who loves tales that won't let you go.

Pub Date Apr 26, 2022
#TheSchoolforGermanBrides #NetGalley

Thanks to the author and William Morrow and Custom House, William Morrow Paperbacks, for the review copy, plus NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.

The Stepford Wives meets The Alice Network in THE SCHOOL FOR GERMAN BRIDES. Aimie Runyan brilliantly evokes the sinister, gilded world of 1940’s Berlin—a world where young women are forcibly groomed to become perfect mates to men who hide their brutality behind toothy grins and perfectly pressed uniforms. It’s also a world where secret acts of feminine resistance flare beneath the surface, along with heart-tugging compassion and daring bravery. You won’t be able to put this one down.

The School for German Brides tells the story of Hanna, a German girl who has lost her mother and been flung into high society, and Thilde, a Jewish woman hiding her heritage in Berlin while running her mother’s dress shop. Hanna struggles to adjust to living with her aunt and uncle in Berlin and their new expectations for her—to find a husband, specifically a German officer, and forget her mother, who was a healer and believed in helping people while Thilde helps her mother escape to America, unsure what she herself will do. Eventually, Hanna is pushed into an engagement with a high-ranking officer who wants to control her while Thilde falls for a kind-hearted Jewish man even while many Jews are being taken away to camps throughout Germany. As the story continues, both women try to figure out an escape from the lives Germany has planned for them.

The good:
I found the setting of Berlin really interesting and some of the details fascinating. While there are a million WWII books, this was a unique perspective that I enjoyed. Thilde was a great character, and so was Klara, the character who eventually tied Thilde and Hanna together. The second half of the book was really fast-paced and interesting.

The bad:
The first half of the book was slow and I felt could have been cut somewhat. The focus was on character building, but the lack of action lost my interest. Overall, however, I would give the book 3.5 stars. There are so many WWII books these days, and this was well-researched and really interesting. It included an interesting perspective without being the best I’ve read. I rounded up to four because the last half was more exciting than the first.

It is 1938 in Germany, and we meet Hanna, Tilde, and Klara.

Hanna has been sent to live with her wealthy aunt and uncle in Berlin with the sole purpose of having Hanna marry a high-ranking German officer and raise their status as well.

Tilde is a Jewish seamstress trying to stay safe during this time of turmoil and was friends with both Hanna and Klara.

Klara was a wealthy German woman but one who secretly helped her Jewish friends and others.

Alternating chapters tell us of Hanna’s and Tilde’s life - one whose life had advantages and one who was living in fear.

You will feel the pain both women are feeling and for different reasons...one because she had to be a cruel German officer's wife and one because she and her baby had to hide and keep under the radar.

Klara was good to both women.

THE SCHOOL FOR GERMAN BRIDES is excellently written and a book that will draw you in because of how well the author portrays the three main characters, their plights, and their strength.

THE SCHOOL FOR GERMAN BRIDES is a book you will be anxious to get back to and will love. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

The School for German Brides is Intriguing and often heartbreaking. A cast of three young women, each from very different circumstances, carries the story from the perspective of German Protestants and German Jews. The lovely connections between these women—and their determination to hold onto family and self in the midst of the darkest time—kept me cheering them on in the face of incredible danger. The story pulls no punches about the horrors of WWII, and I'm still a little mad about the fate of one of my favorite characters... but that's the mark of a good story. It keeps you invested in the characters and hoping for a positive resolution for all.

This is ultimately a touching story, perfect for fans of Stephanie Dray, Kate Quinn, and Stephanie Thornton. Don't miss it!

Engrossing until the epilogue. I’ve read every novel published by Aimie K. Runyan, particularly enjoying Promised to the Crown and Girls on the Line, and have been eagerly awaiting her latest tale of World War II, told from the perspective of two strong, intelligent, young German women. This book’s many thought-provoking themes include love and courage but also, predominantly, racism, prejudice, hatred, selfishness, evil and oppression in various horrific forms, many of which are sadly all too relevant today. Runyan is a master storyteller, having created a compelling if often heart-wrenching tale. But then the WW II story ends in an abrupt, seemingly rushed, and certainly unsatisfying manner, which is by no means cured by an epilogue entirely out of sync with the cadence and content of the remainder of the book. Though still glad I read this novel, I was left quite disappointed. Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

World War II novel sent in Germany with 3 young women from different backgrounds. Story starts with Hanna who is sent to Germany to live with her aunt and uncle after her mother dies.. Hanna meets Klara at school and they become friends. Klara's parents are friends of Hanna's aunt and uncle so they have mutual social invents. Tilde (who is a jew) is a dressmaker and helps Klara with her dressmaker. Klara would love to be a designer and Hanna wants to be a doctor. The parents want Klara to make a successful marriage and Hanna's aunt and uncle have already put into place their plans for her to be married. The school in the title is introduced late in the story and shows how the german young women are taught to be the perfect wife. Hanna and Klara want nothing to do with the teachings and are appalled at how the jews are treated. Engaging story that I recommend. Thank you Haper Collins for the arc. I will be looking for more books by Aimie K Runyan

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book.
I liked the story but the title was a bit confusing. I thought the main focus would be the school and teaching these women how to be German brides. I wanted to see what the school taught them. The title is why I read the book. I did like the characters and how they got together. It was a good book and I enjoyed it.

The School for German Brides centers the stories of two women, Hanna and Tilde. Hanna is the niece of prominent Nazi party members, who is sent to live with this aunt and uncle after the death of her mother. Her mother was what I would call a naturopath, a woman doctor who used natural methods to treat and heal, something that was an anathema to the Nazis. Hanna's wealthy and influential aunt and uncle guide her life in Berlin, differently than how she wants to live it, but she has little say in the matter. Tilde is a Jewish dressmaker and seamstress, living with her Jewish mother in Berlin. Her non-Jewish father, a lawyer, has divorced her mother and abandoned them, when it became clear that association with Jews was harmful to business and to one personally. Tilde is able to pretend to not be Jewish, in order to keep her and her mother safe. Hanna and Tilde's lives cross, as the Nazis increase their attacks on and round ups of Jewish people.

This is a tough book. On the one hand, I am afraid some readers will consider Hanna's story, and that of her best friend, Klara, to be sympathetic to Nazis. And I want to be clear, I don't think that is not the story. But the characterization inside the theme of women making their way in a world that doesn't want them, demands some sympathy. And it's hard to be sympathetic to any character attached to or even on the perifery, of the fascist regime.

Hanna's story is one of a woman with little say in her life, She wants to go to university and become a doctor. She is not knowledgeable about the Nazis, other than the restrictive narrative they are imposing on women. I think her story is one about the place of women. However, this story is taking place in World War II Germany and context matters. I wish she had fought back more strongly. She on one hand understands the cruelty of the man who became her husband, a Nazi officer, but I don't see her fighting particularly hard against him or the basically arranged marriage. It wasn't totally clear to me if her choice to say yes to the marriage was based on fear for herself or fear for her family. She does push some to get what she wants to go to university. Once there, she becomes more knowledgeable and does take steps to circumvent the party and help those fighting against them. But I needed more and needed it earlier in the story. She was not sympathetic to the Nazi cause, if not particularly informed about all of the horror they have planned. Nevertheless, I needed more action from her earlier. Her ability to twist words and appear acquiescent, when she was trying to trick someone, was valuable later on. I would have liked to see more of her circumventing the party. It was hard to be sympathetic to her when she was so often wishy-washy. I know she was a teen in high school, but where was the rebellion, even some sneaky behavior? She was a fish out of water in her aunt and uncle's house, there was more to explore there than polite acceptance on the outside and mumbling in her head, We were far into the story before she really fought back. It made it difficult to be sympathetic for her, when her own motivations and actions felt inconsistent.

I think at least part of why we don't see Hanna acting earlier, is her friendship with Klara. Klara is not a principal character with a narrative point of view, but she is a critical character in the story. Hanna and Klara's friendship had the potential earlier to be more than the frenemies they became until sent to the bride school. Klara's rebellion could have been a good POV to explore, her teenage rebellion could have become more focused on actual rebellion. I think Klara does more early on to fight the party, but it always comes as a surprise. It is her relationship with Tilde that is the tie in between the main characters and leads to the main climactic moment.

Tilde's mother is in hiding in their home, trying to not bring attention to their dress shop as a Jewish owned business. Tilde's has her father's non-Jewish, German last name, of course, and lighter coloring, so people see what they expect to see, and so far she has been safe. Tilde's mother is able to get a visa to come to the US but Tilde is left behind. Over the course of the story, Tilde marries another Jew, whose family is lost to Kristallnacht. He sacrifices himself to try to learn where his family has been taken, leaving Tilde behind. Tilde's father refuses to help her get a visa when she begs him for help. Everyone in Tilde's life has left her behind and she is fighting to stay alive. Ultimately it is Klara and Hanna who help her - no spoilers - and ensure her safety. And with the strength of learning to save herself, she manages to escape Berlin and the Nazis. I found Tilde's story to not only be more compelling, but better and more fully drawn. Her story as a woman who has continued to make her own way against all odds, is the heroine's journey I wanted to see.

Overall, the story examines the theme of women and how they survive when their place in the world is being determined by someone else and outside forces. Even Hanna's aunt is part of this theme. She only knows how to go along with things, go shopping to alleviate loneliness, manipulate situations to try to come out ahead and survive. It's just too bad her survival is within the Nazi party apparatus and power structure. I had no sympathy for her, or anyone like her. I needed more strength of character and action from Hanna, I wish Klara had had a POV in the story, and I was full of sympathy for Tilde. That's too much of a roller coaster for me. While the theme is a compelling one, the need to feel sympathy for characters who were too close to the evil of WWII, is what failed for me

The pacing of the story is good, and I found myself easily pulled along. I appreciate when historical fiction leaves me interested in studying more history. I am hopeful for an author's note with more information about the school used in this book, if it in fact existed.
. 3.5/5 stars.

The School for German Brides by Aimie K. Runyan
This is by far a except able book by Aimie K Runyan. This is the first time reading a book by this author. She has a wonderful way of making you really think about the storyline. I love the story and how it draws me in from the first page. I've read a lot of fictional book about WWII but never one that talks about Germans grooming young ladies to be German brides for German officers. The characters were so likeable and you will love learning about them. I will definitely be reading more books by this author.

I would highly recommend this book. It is full of every you love in a book.

I rate this book a 5 out of 5 star's

I received this complimentary book from netgalley for a honest review. All thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone.

Just finished this historical fiction novel, The School for German Brides by Ami K. Runyan and looooooved it. I'm a sucker for a WW2 story and this one does not disappoint. You see Germany through the experiences of two women, Tilde and Hanna. Tilde is Jewish and Hanna comes from a prominent Nazi party family. Both women, experiencing the war from two very different perspectives, are forced to make difficult decisions under the most impossible circumstances. I feel like most of the books I've read this year celebrate the inner strength of women and this book does just that. I was sad to see this book end and highly recommend it.

Photo taken from the author's Facebook page - check her out! https://www.facebook.com/aimie.runyan.author.

The Bibliophile lists The School for German Brides as one of the best historical fiction books of 2022! https://the-bibliofile.com/2022-historical-fiction.../...

Thanks to #NetGalley for access to review this book.

(This review is made available on my Facebook page).

It takes a masterful writer to create sympathetic characters that are goose-stepping to Hitler’s marches—but Aimie K. Runyan has done so in her finest novel to date, THE SCHOOL FOR GERMAN BRIDES. Beginning in August, 1938, the story traces the lives of three girls from Berlin in their late teens—two gentiles and a mischling (a girl of “mixed” religion: with one Jewish parent and one who is Christian). Hanna and Klara are each related to ambitious Nazi party members. Tilde Altman’s father, a gentile attorney, deserted Tilde and her Jewish mother (both seamstresses) as the Nazis’ laws against intermarriage became ever more Draconian. Herr Altman remarried without looking back.

The narrative alternates between Hanna’s and Tilde’s stories, as Tilde struggles to keep her Jewish identity murky and stay one step ahead of the Stormtroopers; and the cautiously rebellious Hanna fights to retain her own identity and ambitions in a new society intent on stripping women of all goals but marriage and motherhood in service to the Fatherland.

Even if you don’t know your WWII history, and can’t match the dates the author provides at the chapter heads with the war’s timeline, Runyan beautifully maintains the tension right out of the gate. You get the awful sense that something is going to happen to someone you care about and fear for them, and it keeps the pages turning.

I have a slight quibble with the title of the novel because we don’t get to the subject of it until about three-quarters of the way through the book—and I did find myself wondering for the first several pages how the title related to the narrative I’d been devouring. The novelist is a meticulous researcher, so I was prepared to believe that schools for German brides actually existed; and that premise alone is chilling. If they didn’t exist,
Ms. Runyan paints a disturbing portrait of the societal brainwashing that the Reich would certainly be capable of orchestrating against its own young women. Nonetheless, this reader felt that her novel is about so much more than the few scenes set on the island where the “school” is located, even if the curriculum is the gimbal on which events turn, to transform key characters from ambivalent Nazis into Righteous Gentiles. Nevertheless, from a marketing optic, it’s a titillating title, guaranteed to make a potential reader ask “What the . . .?” and pick up the novel. And oh, is it worth picking up!

THE SCHOOL FOR GERMAN BRIDES closes with an epilogue set in Washington D.C. in 1960. For anyone tempted to believe the denouement is too “pat,” I offer an anecdote from my own life story: my former mother-in-law was hidden from the Nazis by a family of Righteous Gentiles in Poland when she was in her early teens. Decades later, in 1982, she was reunited with the Polish sisters in NYC. Unbeknownst to her, they had known she was Jewish all along and maintained the secret of her identity. Despite the overwhelming evil the Third Reich at the time, there were indeed incredibly brave souls who risked their lives to choose the moral high ground. When Runyan’s German brides chose “I do,” it’s not the altar, but the alter (higher) ground. DO choose this magnificent novel.

I was really excited for this book, but ultimately was disappointed and ended up DNF-ing the book about 2/3s of the way through the book.
I was over half way through the book and we had yet to meet ‘Rachel’, one of the two main characters outlined in the description. Additionally, the school for brides that is in the title of the book hasn’t been mentioned yet. Either get a new title or bring in the school MUCH earlier in the plot.

Runyan’s research shines in her fascinating depiction of the everyday details in the lives of three German women in her book, The School for German Brides. Readers will not be able to turn away from this captivating tale of female friendships and survival in late 1930’s Germany.