Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, particularly stories about WWII with strong women characters fighting against the Nazis (Shining Through one of my favorite movies!). This one did not disappoint - a solid 4.5 stars from me. Loved that it was set in Vienna, as having been there a few times, it was easy to picture the places in my mind while reading. Hannah is a 27yo nurse who finds herself in a hospital where children are disappearing, and soon finds herself risking everything to help her nephew and anyone else that she can. This was a powerful story of courage, love, bravery, and gumption, and would definitely recommend adding to your tbr! Thanks so much to Kate Hewitt, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this e-arc.

One of my favorite historical fiction writers! The other reviews of this book are spot on. There is so much feeling, yes bring the tissues, with every page. I was into this one from the first page and could not put it down. There aren’t enough words. Definitely in my buy to keep pile!

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

A heart-rending story about the horrors at Am Steinhof during the second world war. Hannah, a nurse charged with the care of her disabled nephew, is soon elightened to the terrible practices against the children within the walls. Together with another nurse, Margrethe, she works to help those destined for death escape to a new life. Warm characters and an engrossing plot make this a worthy addition to my WW2 fiction shelf.

This was not easy to read but then nothing involving the Nazis is. I struggled
through sections maybe the reason I am so late in reviewing this one.

Hannah after her nurses training ends up in the hospital where Hitlers dream ofa
pure Aryan race was propagated. Children born to pure German mothers blonde, blue eyed
birthed adopted by families approved by the Reich. When the summons came for her to visit
her half brother who was a Senior in German Intelligence, Hannah knew it did not bode
well for her.

Her orders to accompany her disabled nephew to Vienna to a hospital for surgery and
treatments, a euphemism for certain and premeditated death. A way to rid society of disabled, both physical and mental and anyone the regime considered undesirable.

Hannah teams up with Margrethe to spirit out children one at a time to safety from certain
death. Hannah sadly could not save her nephew but she played a role in helping many.
I read about callousness and cruelty all the time but the Nazis honed it into an art form.
Brutal, but factual this was a tough one.

I am a huge fan of historical fiction books that are written during the WWII time period. This one delved into a different aspect of the war. The author’s research was admirable and will have you cringing at the horrors the children experienced under the guise of providing assistance. What an emotional read that will make your heart ache at what these innocent children endured. But the courage displayed by a few of the characters will restore your faith in humanity. I pray that history does not repeat itself.

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!

Kate Hewitt truly brought the characters into reality giving the reader a real look at the complete action of laying down your life for another, as the characters saved children that were impaired, mentally and physically from death at the hands of ruthless uncaring nurses & doctors who are supposed to save life. if you are looking for a read about the cruelty of man toward those who are different by color,, religion, nationality and mental read this book. An emotional read but written excellently.

Kate Hewitt is a masterful storyteller. As you read this book, you will gain an even greater understanding of the depths of evil perpetrated against innocents during WWII. Hannah sees this firsthand when her half-brother asks her to work at a hospital where he is sending his son. She soon realizes that to hold on to her own humanity, she needs to sacrifice her safety to save others. It is difficult to say that you “like” something with a topic such as this one, but I did like how the author chose something other than the usual German camp settings. For one, it gives the reader a new perspective on the breadth of evil. Pacing and character development are stellar. In a time of many medical questions, this historical fiction novel is even more thought-provoking. For more details, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. This review was written based on a digital copy of the book from Bookouture.

Let me start this with the caveat that I did not really read the description of the book before requesting it. I have enjoyed everything I have ever read by Kate Hewitt, so when I saw this, it was a given.

This is the story of 2 nurses who work in a children's hospital in Vienna for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and mental illness. This is not you typical run of the mill heroic WWII story. When writers delve into the horrors of the war, the Holocaust is front and center, which makes sense. But there are thousands of silent victims of the same policy of extermination that we often overlook, and perhaps none more so then those considered disabled, insane or idiots.

I work as a disability advocate, the rights of people living with disabilities to live normal lives with the same rights and privilege's as everyone else, is an issue very near and dear to me. So picking up the book without reading the synopsis before hand, I was surprised, and taken on a ride I wasn't quite prepared for.

As part of my work, I monitor start hospitals and mental health facilities, as well as facilities for people with IDD and DD.. So the authors descriptions of the campus, the residents, behaviors, the smells, all rang true. While we would like to think we have come such a long way, her descriptions and what I see for myself going into these facilities makes me wonder. Perhaps we no longer systematically eliminate patients and conduct horrendous experiments, but we still routinely over medicate, abuse, neglect, and place people in institutions and forget them simply because its more convenient for able bodied people to do so. But I digress.

This is not an uplifting WWII story. But I give Kate Hewitt a lot of credit for taking on this topic, bring it to life and doing so in a way that sheds genuine light on the humanity of these victims. For that I would recommend this to other readers.

Very good read highly recommended. I totally recommend this book to friends and family it does not disappoint. Hope to read more books by this author in the near future.

Outstanding storyteller Kate Hewitt dazzles yet again with her latest stunning historical novel The Angel of Vienna.

In Nazi-occupied Vienna in 1940, the war showed absolutely no sign of slowing down. With terror, danger and foreboding round every corner, twenty-seven year old nurse Hannah Stern is just trying to survive as best she can. When she gets a job working at Vienna’s esteemed psychiatric hospital Am Steinhof, Hannah thinks she will be safe from danger. However, little does she realize that reality is going to prove very different as she soon realizes that all isn’t quite what it seems at the hospital…

Hannah had secured this job thanks to her estranged half-brother who had fixed this position up for her with the condition that she would take his son, Willi with her. Hannah quickly agrees and soon forms a close bond with the sweet and fragile boy thrust in her care. Hannah had thought that she and Willi would be safe at Am Steinhof until she makes a shocking discovery: children like Willi are disappearing. They are not taken elsewhere to get better, but somewhere far more sinister and dangerous.

When Willi’s life is put in danger, Hannah knows that she must do something. She cannot continue to be afraid anymore and she must fight not just for her nephew, but for the many children who have nobody in their corner. When she discovers that there is another nurse at the hospital who helps patients escape this prison they are trapped in, Hannah vows to do whatever she can to help – even if means putting herself in the line of fire.

Hannah needs to tread carefully and watch her step because the Nazis are watching and if they find out what she is up to, the consequences simply do not bear thinking about…

Kate Hewitt never disappoints and in The Angel of Vienna she writes so brilliantly and with such confidence, compassion and heart that she hooks her readers by the end of the first page and keeps them engrossed until the very last word. The Angel of Vienna is an exceptional example of her storytelling skills. Inspired by true events, this is a gripping, harrowing, inspirational, devastating and heart-wrenching story about courage, resilience and love readers will certainly not forget in a hurry.

Superbly written, wonderfully evocative and sure to get under every single reader’s skin, Kate Hewitt’s The Angel of Vienna is mesmerizing historical fiction at its finest.

The Angel of Vienna was an excellent read especially for historical novel. Hannah is determined to help the war effort by working at a psychiatric ward. She feels she can save many patients that otherwise die or disappear. She tries to save her nephew but her effort failed. Read this book to share in0....... Hannah's heroics

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

Nazi-occupied Vienna, 1940: An absolutely heartbreaking story—based on devastating real events—about tragedy, friendship and courage in the face of impossible odds.

Hannah Stern is a twenty-seven-year-old nurse, who takes a position at Vienna’s esteemed psychiatric hospital Am Steinhof, accompanying her estranged half-brother’s son, Willi, with whom she soon forms a close bond. At first the hospital seems like a safe haven—a beautiful, airy, spacious place of healing and recovery.

But the hospital has secrets. And they are darker than Hannah could ever have imagined. Children are disappearing—not to be healed as promised, but taken somewhere else. Somewhere terrible.

And when Willi’s own life comes under threat, Hannah knows she must act, despite her own fears. When she discovers one of the other nurses is also trying to help patients escape, Hannah becomes determined to help in any way she can.

But she is only one person, fighting against a horrific, overwhelming regime. And to save even just one life, she must risk her own…

From the very beginning, this book did not turn out like how I thought it would. I loved getting to know Hannah's personality and her conflict about what was really right and how little she thought she could really do. This book really brings to the forefront regarding how many people suspected something was going on but couldn't bring themselves to fully embrace the idea of the exact horrors.

TRIGGER WARNING: Nazi ideology concerning health and disability
1940: Hannah Stern is a nurse in Germany when her half brother finds her a new position in a psychiatric hospital in Vienna. He sends her along with his disabled son who he hopes can be treated by eminent Nazi doctors. But the treatments offered are not a cure, they are euthanasia...
The Angel of Vienna is a haunting historical novel about the Nazi ideal of Aryanism and their quest for perfection.
To begin with, Hannah is working as a nurse and midwife, delivering healthy Aryan children for the Reich. A child is born with a cleft palate and is rejected, making Hannah begin to question the Nazi ideology. Then she travels to Vienna with her nephew Willi who has cerebral palsy. She fears for his safety once she sees the institute he has been taken to and the attitude of the staff.
This book is heartbreaking. The children are treated with derision and cruelty which is very upsetting to read about. Hannah has to choose between her ethics and risking her own safety by challenging the rules. This creates tension as we begin to fear for Hannah and Willi in this uncaring and dangerous environment.
The Angel of Vienna is sometimes difficult to read due to the power of emotion that the words evoke. It is beautifully written and raises awareness of another angle of Nazi brutality.

First and foremost, I must thank NetGalley, Bookouture and Kate Hewitt for allowing me to read this extraordinary novel. As a fan of Kate’s I jump on the chance to request her books because I always learn something from them that I had not previously been aware of and as always…as a reader of historical fiction, I encourage you to read the authors notes at the end of the book for further insight.

Hannah Stern owes her hurting career to her half brother whom she barely knows. He paid for her schooling and then secured a job for her in one of the Lebensborn homes as Germany rose to power in WWII. She is extremely surprised when he summons her from the home to Berlin with a new job for her, a nurse to his disabled son at a “clinic” in Vienna. She doesn’t quite understand the assignment when they arrive at the clinic but quickly learns to the truth about the place…they are systematically yet quietly murdering children who are deemed not worthy of living. Hannah can’t bare the atrocities that occur under the very roofs in which she works so she teams up with another nurse, Margarethe and the two do everything they can to save as many children as they can.

While I was aware of Hitlers order to dispose of those with mental and physical disabilities, I hadn’t come across a story that sheds light on the horror. While this story is fiction, many of the doctors and nurses mentioned in the story were in fact real people who were about as evil as they come. What I love about this story though is that it reminds us that there were good people embedded in the Nazi regime. They were masters of deception when it comes to those in charge and yet put their lives on the line to save someone else’s. It’s those stories that stay with you, that turn history into something more than just words on a page. I highly recommend this book, it will tug at your heart

This story follows nurses Hannah Stern and her coworker Margarethe as they discover the horrible secrets of Am Steinhof. Determined to protect those society has deemed unworthy, they risk their lives multiple times to save the children under their care. We see both women bond together and rely on their friendship to keep each other motivated. Their relationship really warmed my heart and inspired me to encourage my friends, too.

While their friendship and the children in the novel are heartwarming, this is also a tough book to read. The children in this hospital experienced abuse and neglect. Anti-Semitism, ableism, and prejudices caused these children to endure what no child should. For every person willing to help, they were vastly outnumbered by those who wished harm or were indifferent. My pro-life views resonated deeply with this story, especially with this quote below:

"What does it matter, Hannah?... Either a human being is worthy of life, or they aren't. You cannot make a list of conditions, tick them off one by one, because then who gets to decide?"

In conclusion, this is an heartbreaking yet inspirational book. I really enjoyed it and I recommend it to all. May we never forget this dark period of time and use history to prevent things like this from happening, or continuing.

Content Warnings: Anti-Semitism and other prejudices, ableism, medical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse (not graphic or detailed, just mentioned in passing) and murder. None of the CW are graphic, but it can be uncomfortable.

The Angel of Vienna
By Kate Hewitt
Series: None
Publisher: Bookouture
Rated: 5
Obtain: Borrow it
Back of the Book: “Nazi-occupied Vienna, 1940: An absolutely heartbreaking story—based on devastating real events—about tragedy, friendship and courage in the face of impossible odds.
“Nobody wants to die, Hannah. But these children… they haven’t even lived yet. And you have a chance to save them. The question is just: are you brave enough?”
Hannah Stern is a twenty-seven-year-old nurse, who takes a position at Vienna’s esteemed psychiatric hospital Am Steinhof, accompanying her estranged half-brother’s son, Willi, with whom she soon forms a close bond. At first the hospital seems like a safe haven—a beautiful, airy, spacious place of healing and recovery.
But the hospital has secrets. And they are darker than Hannah could ever have imagined. Children are disappearing—not to be healed as promised, but taken somewhere else. Somewhere terrible.
And when Willi’s own life comes under threat, Hannah knows she must act, despite her own fears. When she discovers one of the other nurses is also trying to help patients escape, Hannah becomes determined to help in any way she can.
But she is only one person, fighting against a horrific, overwhelming regime. And to save even just one life, she must risk her own…

Impressions: What a fantastic book. I was wholly expecting something historical and dramatic but I was not expecting to be crying while sunbathing at the pool. This book went deep into the heartbreaking cruelty of the children “hospitals” in Nazi control during WW2. I could not put this book down and when I did my heart was heavy for this world. This book engaged the reader through an emotional journey of fear, love, and sacrifice. While faith was mentioned in this book, it was not preachy and I would not consider this a “Christian” novel. I think it is great for the secular and Christian readers out there who are looking for a historical novel. This book would be rated R in the theaters for the trauma and abuse described but also sexual abuse. I would recommend this for adults for these reasons.

Quotes: “‘I meant to make my vow to God, a sacred and solitary thing, but it felt as if I were making flimsy promises to mere humans- to the mother superiors, to the other nuns, to the idea of the convent, perhaps, but not the idea I had in my head. In the end, I realized I could serve God better out of a convent than in it.’”
“Either a human being is worthy of life, or they aren’t. you cannot make a list of conditions, tick them off one by one, because then who gets to decide?” – With the big news of Roe vs. Wade being overturned recently I think this quote means more. The reasons for abortion have flimsy rational.
“‘If this life is the only hope you have, then naturally you cling to it. But what a poor hope it is.’”
“‘How do you do it? Hannah asked.’… ‘Because I’m no use to anyone if I let myself be mired down in grief and sorrow,’ she stated. ‘Those who let themselves be overwhelmed by the horror never actually act. They just wring their hands and cluck their tongues. I won’t be like that. Neither will you.’”
“‘If it is only for this life we have hope, we are to be pitied,’ Margarethe told her quietly. ‘It is what St Paul wrote, and as I have said before, it is what I have always believed. It can be a comfort, when you consider the way the world is.’”
“‘Our motto must be: Death rather than sin. By pious prayer and penance we can bring down upon us all, our city and our beloved German land, His grace and forgiveness.’”

I received an ARC of this book via the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review shared here. For more book reviews go to: https://simplyannehere.wordpress.com

Hannah Stern is a nurse in Germany during the early days of World War 2. After delivering babies for some time at a Nazi Lebensborn facility, she is summered to Berlin by her older half-brother, who is an officer in the Abwehr.. Tasked with escorting her nephew, who suffers from cerebral palsy, to a children’s hospital in Vienna, Hannah makes some horrifying discoveries about the fate of children with disabilities. Will she be courageous enough to save some of them? Find out in this gripping work of historical fiction.

For the Life of a Child

A story of the unfortunate and cruel existence of the handicapped children kept in asylums by the Nazi's just because they were not what they considered perfect humans. They did not consider them worthy of life.

This is the story of a nurse named Hannah and her fellow nurse Margarethe who risked their lives to save a few of these children from the Austrian asylum known as Am Steinhof.

Hannah came to Am Steinhoff to care for her nephew Willi at the urging of her half brother. She felt compelled to do so since he is the one that paid for her nurse's training. She fell in love with Willi and did everything she could to visit him and watch over him.

She would risk her life for many children at the time she was at the Asylum and became close friends with fellow nurse Margarethe. Such good friends that she protected Margarethe with an extreme act of bravery as they were saving one of the children.

This story brings to light one more atrocity committed by the Nazi regime under the leadership of the dictator Adolf Hitler. Such cruelty to children so vulnerable is purely evil.

This was a sad story to read, but a story that needed to be told. We must never forget what happened, lest it ever happen again.

Thanks to Kate Hewitt for writing a great historical story, to Bookouture for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me to read and review.

When the story opens, Hannah Stern is a paediatric nurse at a Lebensborn facility, a place where unmarried mothers who are a part of the Reich's programme to raise the birth rate of Aryan children, go to give birth. Only the perfect babies are put up for adoption, usually by SS officers and their wives. Those babies born with abnormalities are sent to orphanages. Hannah is heart broken when this happens, but is mindful of her position and accepts that this is the system under which she works.

Hannah's estranged half-brother, Georg Strasser, a major in army intelligence, summons her to his home in Berlin. Surprised and curious, Hannah cannot refuse as she is under an obligation to him, for Georg was instrumental in her becoming a nurse and escaping a life of poverty.

He has never introduced her to his family before but at his home she meets his disabled 11 year old son, Willi, a son she did not know existed. Georg's request is that Hannah accompany Willi to Am Steinhof, a psychiatric hospital in Vienna. Here, Willi will receive treatment for his disability and Hannah will continue to work as a nurse. She finds Willi intelligent and friendly, and comes to love the boy.

First impressions of the hospital and its director, Dr Jekelius, convince Hannah that this is the right place for Willi, but when she visits the ward he is in, she realises that she has been deceived. When children are marked for special treatment, removed to another ward and never return, she begins to question what is happening and embarks on a dangerous course of action.

What I liked most about this novel was how Hannah's character developed across the story. As soon as Hannah is introduced, we see that she is different from the other nurses. Despite a sense of hopelessness at what is happening around her and a need to feel safe and secure, she remains a compassionate and caring person, observant but tries to keep her thoughts to herself. She appears naive, believing or wants to believe that the children once gone from her care are treated humanely. However, once at Am Steinhof, she sees a different side to the treatment of disabled children. She still wants to believe that they are cared for decently, but cannot disregard what she sees and hears. Overcoming her fears and aware that Georg's position is not a guarantee of Willi's safety or hers, she joins a small, clandestine group to save as many children as possible from the horrendous fate that awaits them.

I always enjoy a Kate Hewitt novel and this one was no exception, although it is more heartbreaking than the previous novels I've read of hers; those featuring children usually are. I already knew of the experiments and other practices carried out at Am Steinhof. Nevertheless, Hewitt's novel left me feeling disturbed and greatly saddened by the cruelty and monstrousness of it all, which was slightly assuaged by the epilogue that saw justice handed out to some and the promise of a better future for others.

The Angel of Vienna is another great read from Kate Hewitt.

What a heartbreaking story author Kate Hewitt has written. She took a terrible period of time and weaved in beautiful friendships, love, and hope where it didn’t seem possible. As I’m reading the story I’m thinking of her research and how hard it must have been to learn of all these terrible lives lost. Childrens lives. I had never heard of the childrens psychiatric hospital, Am Steinhof, and was so sadden to read what took place there. Thank you Kate for writing such a beautiful story about such a tragic event.
Hannah enjoys her job as a maternity nurse and helping bring babies into the world. It’s a sad time these miracles are being born into, but there’s nothing that can be done. Hannah is surprised when she’s called to visit her half brother, the very one who put her through nursing school and rarely speaks of her. When she arrives she’s informed that she must take her nephew Willi and leave immediately to Vienna. Hannah must take a job at the psychiatric hospital and watch over Willi. She is told, not asked.
Hannah arrives not to the beautiful trees, impressive grounds, or state of the art facilities, but to an ill run lock down jail for children. The sounds and smells are just a few of the off-putting things Hannah notices on her first day. What her brother told her is untrue, but did he also fall for the lies? Surely he wouldn’t have sent his son to live in these conditions? As the months go by Hannah will learn the truth and form friendships with people who feel as strongly as her about doing the right thing. Even if she puts her own life on the line