This is brilliantly written. This book is very emotional. A heartbreaking compelling story.
It was hard to read in places

A beautifully written book that absolutely shattered me. A daughter loves her father but does she really know who he is? Keep the tissues handy with this one The characters are loyal and the plot is one of the best I have ever read.

When We Were Innocent by Kate Hewitt is a powerful and heart breaking dual timeline novel.
This is a book that will mess with your emotions as we follow a character through a myriad of emotions as her gentle father is charged with Nazi war crimes. All she has ever known about her father is in opposition and comes crashing down. “This is my dad, and I love him. I know I do, even if it’s hard. Even if I’m not sure I should anymore.” Her love for her father is in conflict.
The novel is set in 1942 – 1943 in Sobibor and also in present day America. It alternates chapters between the time periods and the voices – her father in 1942 and the leading lady in present day. The story is told in the first person so we get to know the characters intimately, their emotions and their fears.
We witness a life unravel in 1942 as choices are made with disastrous consequences. Undoing one’s choices was not possible under Nazi rule. “He made choices … Everyone must face the consequences of their actions.” A character has lived with his choices for seventy years. He kept silent but his guilt remains.
To stay silent is to condone and to be compliant. As Edmund Burke said evil flourishes when good men do nothing.
The reader joins the characters in Sobibor. It is a sickening place to be. There are some dreadful sights.
We see the bravery of the young girl – she cannot save everyone but she hopes to save two.
When We Were Innocent is an emotional ride. It is a powerful read and one that will leave you in tatters. I can highly recommend it.
I received a free copy via Net Galley. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review. This book had me crying as I thought the main character was.

Out of the blue Libby is told that her father was a Nazi during world war 2 and the department of justice has a warrant for his arrest. The man who taught you to be considerate of others, to think before acting. Your father who is also 93, who’s raised you solely since you were 5.

What would you do? What should Libby do? Don’t want to spoil but this was one fantastic read!

I am not usually a fan of historical fiction, but I really enjoyed how this book combined the past and the present. I really felt for Libbys character and felt her emotions.

This is one of my favorite reads of the year. This story touches on everything that pulls at your heart strings. The writing is wonderful. Have your tissues handy for this one!!

Such a heartwarming story about a woman’s conflict of emotions when she discovers her dad was a Nazi. A beautiful journey of a book and a very easy read

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Haunting, heartbreaking and harrowing, Kate Hewitt is at her mesmerizing best with her latest novel, When We Were Innocent.

Libby Trent adores her father. He brought her up single-handedly in the family home, looked after her and cared for her, gave her a wonderful childhood and is now always on hand to lend a helping hand looking after his grandchildren. Her father had taught Libby the difference between right and wrong and good and evil. There is nobody in this world she trusts more than him. But just well does she know her father? Libby soon discovers that he has been keeping an earth-shattering secret from her that upends her entire life…

Hans Brenner was a Nazi war criminal accused of the worst possible crimes known to man. He had fled Germany and seemed to have vanished off the face of the earth. Remembered for the atrocities he had committed, Hans had never paid for the sorrow and anguish he had meted out during the Second World War. However, the past seems to have finally caught up with Hans – much to Libby’s shock and horror as the man accused of being this monster is none other than her beloved father!

Finding a secret box in her father’s bedroom, Libby finds herself wanting to know what it contains – and dreading that it might confirm her worst fears. Will Libby choose right or wrong? Will she choose to protect her father? Or will she find the evidence that will once and for all prove that her beloved dad and Hans Brenner are one and the same person…

Kate Hewitt’s writing continues to go from strength to strength and with When We Were Innocent she has outdone herself once again by writing a complex, searingly emotional and wholly gripping tale of secrets, betrayal, deception and the lengths we go to for the people we love that readers will be completed captivated by.

When We Were Innocent is a book that will stay with readers forever and one which brilliantly illustrates Kate Hewitt’s extraordinary talent.

Did anybody cry like me after reading this? Okay, I'm raising my hand first. I'm still bawling that I can't even make a decent review.

Anyhow, thanks to Netgalley!

You love your father with all your heart. But what if he’s not who you think he is? What if he’s kept an unforgiveable secret from you his whole life? A totally heartbreaking and powerful story about a daughter’s impossible dilemma and the darkest of family secrets, perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, Amanda Prowse, and Diane Chamberlain.

I am a big fan of Kate Hewitt so I always jump at the opportunity to read any of her books when I can, and I am so glad I was able to read this one already. I have loved every book I have read of hers and this one is going to the top of the list. This novel moved me emotionally and deeply, and it lingered with me long after I finished reading it. Thought-provoking, captivating, heartbreaking. You will need your tissues for this one - be ready to feel all the emotions. You will cry, you will shout, you will hurt, you will cry some more. This is a
one of my favorite reads of all times and I highly recommend it, especially if you like historical fiction.

What an emotional read this was. Heartbreaking but a story that I couldnt put down.
Many thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC

Libby Weiss lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, with her husband Tim, their two children Lucas and Em, and her 96-year-old father Daniel.

Daniel was originally from Germany, but after the WWII, he emigrated to the States. He got married and had Libby, however, his wife left them when their daughter was small. Libby was very close to her father and always looked up to him.

You can imagine her shock, when one day someone from the Department of Human Rights and Prosecutions appear on her doorstep and announces that during the war, her father was a Nazi who worked at Sobibor Death Camp in Eastern Poland. They also tell her that her father’s real name is Hans Brenner and not Daniel Weiss.

Libby is aghast and denies her father’s involvement, however the Department seems to have evidence, albeit loose ones. They want Libby to search for more evidence to prosecute her father.

Libby decides she will search for information, but only to prove her father’s innocence and not guilt. What will she discover?

I loved this book from start to finish. It explores the themes of culpability and moral guilt.

I enjoyed the dual timeline, especially the one relaying Daniel’s/Hans’s experiences in Germany. You can tell that a great deal of historical research was made by the author – historical figures such as guards and SS members who were at Sobibor during the war appear in the story.

I cannot begin to imagine the mental torment that Libby was going through. I tried to think what I would have done in her situation. Would I inform on my parents? Would I keep their secret safe?

I recommend this book to all fans of historical fiction.

I have just finished reading when we were innocent.

What a beautiful book to read, heart wrenching, captivating and a beautiful blend of the cruel past and the future.

It shows how quickly time passes, and gives the reader lots of think about even once the story has long ended.

Thank you



.

When you see a book written by Kate You know its going to be an excellent book, thats beautifully written. Plus, a book that you need to have tissues handy!!!! When We Were Innocent by Kate Hewitt was no different, it was an excellent book and Yes I needed tissues. It's heartbreaking and a haunting story, that covers between two eras, now and the second world war. This book is between Elizabeth - Libby, who is Daniel’s daughter, who lives in the present day; and Daniel (Hans), her who is now 96-year-old father, in 1942. Libby’s world is torn apart when an Officer of the Court comes to her house with the news that her father isn’t who she thinks he is. He was a Nazi and wanted for crimes against humanity........This is when the story starts and WoW what a book this was.

I loved the cover and was perfect for this book. I highly recommend this book I loved it!

Big thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review

TRIGGER WARNING: Nazi atrocities
Libby needs to re-evaluate her whole life when her 96 year old father is accused of being a Nazi war criminal. She starts from a position of denial but can't challenge the evidence. How will her family survive this shocking revelation?
When We Were Innocent is a dual timeline book showing the present day in America and WW2 Germany/Sobibor.
I was completely gripped by this book. The premise is fascinating as a man, gentle and well loved, is accused of the worst of crimes. Libby is certain that her father could never be complicit in genocide but the evidence suggests the contrary. Her family is torn apart but the allegations yet her father remains silent and doesn't deny or admit the charges.
Meanwhile we are shown Hans' experience of the Sobibor extermination camp. His naivety at the function of the camp and the gradual shocking realisation is tragic. Hans is sickened by what he witnesses but tries to block it out due to fearing for his own safety and that of his sister.
The ethical and moral side to both timelines is fascinating and makes the reader wonder how they would cope in the same circumstances. Emotions are thoroughly explored and described which brings the characters and events to life. It is difficult to reconcile the image of the young or old Hans with the specific crime he is accused of and this builds tension as the book progresses.
When We Were Innocent is just such a good book. The plot and characters were absolutely perfect and I couldn't put the book down!

Oh my, the tears really flowed throughout this one. Everything you are brought up to believe and everything in your life comes into question. You hope that nothing like that ever happens to you and those you love. Such an emotional story.Heartbreaking!

What an emotional roller coaster of a novel that will stay in my thoughts for a long time. A very moving story, heart breaking and very well written. Pulls you in right from the start and, despite the difficult content, I couldn't put it down.

I’m happy to be part of a suspenseful and captivating tour for WHEN WE WERE INNOCENT, a story of WWII and modern day. While I read, I kept identifying with the main character and thinking “What would I do if I were in her shoes?” This was a one I could not put down and kept thinking about afterwards. Highly recommended! Thank you for my copy and for making me part of the tour!

Book Description:

You love your father with all your heart. But what if he’s not who you think he is? What if he’s kept an unforgiveable secret from you his whole life?

Libby Trent believes she knows the difference between right and wrong.

But everything changes when she finds out about a man named Hans Brenner, a Nazi who escaped Germany after the Second World War. A war criminal who has lived his whole life in hiding.

Because the man suspected of being Hans Brenner is Libby’s own beloved father.

The sweetest, gentlest man she knows. Who raised her alone, who lives in her family home. Who cares for and watches over Libby’s own children.

When Libby finds a secret box in her father’s bedroom, she knows it might contain evidence. But does she dare open it, if it could prove her father guilty of the most heinous crimes in history?

Because if she finds evidence, she won’t just have to choose between right and wrong, she’ll have to choose whether to betray her own father…

A great read about a time in history people don’t like to talk about. Told in a dual timeline: Libby, Daniel’s daughter, in the present; and Daniel (Hans), her 96-year-old father, in 1942. Libby’s world is shaken when an Officer of the Court comes to her house with the news that her father isn’t who she thinks he is. That he was a Nazi and wanted for crimes against humanity. Join Libby as she grapples with this news and tries to make sense of it. At the same time, we are transported back to 1942 where Daniel/Hans’ story unfolds, and we are shown a different side of the men recruited to serve the Reich at the death camps. Kate Hewith’s research of the Nazi Germany and the possible scenarios that people faced was thought provoking. It made me wonder: What would I have done in that instance? Do people always have a choice when having to do what you are told? At times the story was difficult for me to read, but that was only because of the subject matter not the story. It did not take me long to finish this, mainly because I had to learn the truth of what happened during the war and how Libby handled everything that she learned. If you prefer historical fiction based around the happenings of World War II, you would want to read this one. Ms. Hewith has gained another fan.

Thank you NetGalley and Boukouture for the e-ARC of this book. My opinions are my own and not solicited in any way.

An intriguing book of historical fiction that encompasses two timelines: the present and the Holocaust. Could the beloved grandfather be the same member of the Nazi who served at an extermination camp in Poland? I’ve been looking forward to read this book and the moral dilemma involved. Thank you NetGalley for giving me this opportunity.