I have never read a novel by Kate Furnivall but this historical fiction book was very thought provoking and at times emotional reading.
Recommended

This was my first time reading a book from the author but I am delighted to say I thoroughly enjoyed the story and I look forward to reading more books from the writer in the future

Harrowing and thought provoking it shows how far the strength of love can truly go. Through the hardest of times she fought to be reunited with her child.

I found this novel captivating. It covers a part of history which I did not know, the post-war situation in Berlin. The Russian blockade of Berlin forced the allied into implementing the drop of supplies by air in an amazing operation, Operation Vittles, in 1948/49. The success of this operation played a major role in shaping the future of Berlin, Germany and Europe. This book brings us into the Berlin, East and West, of the time and vividly describes the life of its inhabitants. People were hungry, afraid and they learned not to trust anyone. People disappeared and many children lived on the streets, fending for themselves and searching for food anywhere they could and at any cost.

This novel brings this time to life through the story of two strong female characters, Anna and Ingrid, whose paths cross, through their search for a child. The characters around them are all complex and have their own struggles and hopes, and they learn to find their way through ambivalence, hidden agendas, old hatreds, politics as well as support and love. The beautiful writing is very evocative, giving the reader an immersive experience of the story.

This book will definitely leave a strong impression on me.

Child of the Ruins by Kate Furnivall illustrates the tales of tenacious women desperate to survive after the horror and destruction of WWII.

It’s 1948 and post-war Berlin has been divided into zones, the West controlled by the Allies and the East by the Russians.

The Russian blockade means over two million people rely on American air drops to survive. A plane lands every thirty seconds in West Berlin.

Anna Wolff lives in a confined East Berlin apartment with her mother, Luisa. The area has been devastated by Russians, fearfully commanding with restrictions, raids and rapes.

Anna’s three-year-old son, Felix, is missing and her old Russian flame has returned. Strange things keep happening and as she deepens the search for Felix, the more dangerous her life seems to become.

Ingrid Keller lives within the rubble of her father’s old circus with her husband, Otto. The former group wheel and deal to better their lives, doing anything for money and security. Ingrid risks it all working as a spy between the almighty powers.

The two women’s worlds collide while working at Tempelhof Airport. Both searching for answers, the airport is the ideal place to learn more about the intricacies and secrets of Berlin.

In post-war Berlin, the Soviets were desperate to get the Allies out of Germany altogether. Spies, corruption and kidnap are commonplace and nowhere feels truly safe.

It’s simple, survival relies on cunning and knowledge. In this desperation, the line between right and wrong has become blurred.

Inspired by the aftermath of the war during the Berlin Airlift, this historical fiction novel explores the lengths people will go to survive.

Told in multiple narratives, this novel brings the trauma and streets of post-war Berlin to life. The families within have been divided by the war, each individual with their own goals and trauma.

The novel is meticulously researched, drawing inspiration from real and extraordinary history. The world is atmospheric, transporting you to the harrowing scenes of the broken city. With shortages of coal, food, medicine and money, people are desperate and bereft of hope.

Orphaned children run riot in the ruins, Soviet soldiers cruelly keep control and everyday folk will do anything to survive the chaos.

Anna and Ingrid lead with their stories. Full of struggle, mystery and espionage, the novel keeps you on your feet at a growing pace with twists and turns. Each must battle their own demons and seek resolution as they navigate ruined Berlin.

Ultimately, this novel draws you in with its incredibly well-researched historical fiction and tenacious female leads.

It’s a spectacular tale of the lengths a woman will go to survive. Love is a powerful force and human will can be at its strongest in desperate times.

Emotional and gripping read. Thoroughly enjoyed this book, string and determined characters. Would recommend this book

It’s been a long wait for a new book from Kate Furnivall as The Guardian of Lies was published way back in 2019. I’m a huge fan of her writing ever since I read her stunning debut, The Russian Concubine, which was published in 2007 and I love the fact that she sets her books across many different countries and time periods. The question is was Child of the Ruins worth the wait? The answer being yes. Although, I will readily admit I found the first half of the book very slow going and I was anxious that I wasn’t going to enjoy it and be able to say how much I loved it as I have been able to do with all of Kate’s previous books.

This was a slow burner that I felt needed something to ignite and fan the flame to turn the story into one packed full of twists and turns, suspicion, tension and intrigue. Finally, I got that moment at I’d say around the 55% mark (I was reading this on my Kindle) and from that point on I found myself reading much more quickly and I didn’t feel as if things were being dragged out with little to nothing happening. It’s remarkable how a book can just transform within a few chapters and your opinion of it can completely change but I am glad to say that this was the case here and despite the dragged out start this turned into an excellent read with a superb ending that left me open mouthed and thinking well played Kate Furnivall. Well played.

Child of the Ruins is set in the aftermath of World War Two in Berlin, which is a city now divided between the east controlled by the Russians and the west controlled by the Allies. I’ve read so many historical fiction books set during the war years that I found it really refreshing to read something different. As I am not as familiar with the details of this time I felt like I was learning a lot of new information and there was a lot to absorb and take in. I did find myself confused with some of the characters and where they stood but over time I understand that this was the nature of the plot and the power game at play. Initially, I found it disconcerting that Berliners could go back and forth between checkpoints between the east and west as I have this picture of the Berlin Wall stopping that from happening but of course that happened much later on.

Life wasn’t easy at the time and of course going back and forth provided many challenges and there were strict rules and regulations which made life even more complicated. The Russians were imposing a blockade on the western side, hoping to starve the population which they hoped would leave the Allies with no choice but to forgo the city and therefore the Russians could swoop in and take full control of the capital. But they did not bet on the might and strength of the Americans who ran flights into their zone distributing tonnes of goods, food and fuel which went on through the day and into the night. It was fascinating to read of all the details especially of one American pilot who dropped sweets and chocolate from the sky which young children swamped the streets to try and get.

The story moves back and forth between two young women Anna and Ingrid. Anna lives on the east with her mother Luisa who never leaves their apartment. Ingrid is living in the west and married to Otto. Both women are struggling to exist on a day to day basis and it really is a case of survival of the fittest and the ones who have the strength, tenacity, resources and the power to outwit those trying to quash them well they are the ones who will survive. Anna and Luisa have never been the same since an attack in an alleyway by the Russians as they returned home from work. Luisa still mourns her husband who was lost during the war. She comes across as cold hearted and that Anna is the one who props her up and keeps some food coming into the house. Anna is haunted by her actions in the alleyway and also by one decision by her mother which led to her beloved three month old son Felix vanishing from her life when she was at her lowest and most vulnerable.

Anna has a fire in her belly that one day she will get her son back but three years have passed and there has been no sign of him even though she has searched extensively and used many methods to do so. The city lays in ruins with heat, electricity and food all in very short supply. Danger, destruction, threats and the evilness of the Russians lurk around every corner and soon Anna finds herself involved in a precarious situation which only grows tenser by the minute. But she will not rest until she finds her son. That’s if he is still out there existing amongst the hundreds of displaced children who roam the streets and bombed out buildings. Anna has a gaping space inside her that aches relentlessly day and night due to the absence of her son but there is also a longing for a certain Russian who did so much for herself and her mother when they were at their lowest ebb.

Timur is a Russian officer who holds a special place in her heart but she can’t forgive the fact he left and never made contact again. But now he is back in the city and despite all her instincts telling her to keep away from him, there is that magnetism that is drawing her to him and perhaps she needs him now more than ever as a series of unsettling and quite frankly terrifying events start to occur which means the noose is tightening around Anna. The strings are being pulled taught and she needs to find a way to break free but the strands of fear, suspicion, anger and danger only increase with every turn of the page and slowly bit by bit the story starts to come together. This is the point where I realised the author had planned out everything so very well and that every detail no matter how small or insignificant should be paid heed to.

Ingrid was a very divisive character for me and even by the end I wasn’t sure if I liked her or not. She swayed back and forth from side to side and some of her thoughts and actions I thought well this doesn’t seem like a woman out to do her part for the greater good. She came from a circus background which had been disbanded during the war and she was trying to keep a small bit of it going in the hopes that one day it would rise from the ashes. She was married to Otto and you could feel the intensity of their love and compassion for one another. But Otto was a ducker and diver and involved in many shady dealings as were so many people at the time. They had to as it was their only means of survival. Ingrid herself was clever, resourceful, quick witted and ready to take advantage of whatever and whoever crossed her path. For this I did admire her but still there were a few things that nagged away at me that made me think is she all that she seems? Nice, friendly and sweet on the outside but inside perhaps could be an entirely different matter. She did surprise me in more ways than one towards the end and that’s what made this a thrilling and exciting read.

The paths of Ana and Ingrid intertwine and do so in a touching way. The last quarter or so the pace of the plot intensified and I just wanted all the answers in one go as the pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place. Anna comes to understand that she is a pawn in a very dangerous game and that absolutely no one can be trusted. As she enters the lions den you fear it is too late for her. Are all her efforts in vain or will she find what has eluded her for so long? Or are their higher powers at play who will do nothing to stop themselves achieving their goals even if it means death, terror and destruction? Will the answers and revenge both Anna and Ingrid seek be achieved? To find out, do yourself a favour and pick up a copy of Child of the Ruins. It's an incredible story with that jaw dropping finale and revelation that leaves you reeling and thinking ahhh why didn’t I guess that but in fact it’s a sign that Kate Furnivall is a gifted writer who showed the trauma and divisions at the time for so many people. In fact it left me wanting more which is what a really good book should do. Please Kate don’t leave it so long to write your next book.

A breathtakingly heart wrenching story about three women and the lengths they are willing to go to survive in post war Berlin. This is a wonderful Historical fiction book I count put down.

What a wonderful but also heart-wrenching read.
The aftermath of the Second World War left so much devastation.
Families were torn apart and thousands of children were left to wander the streets.

This is a story that focuses a lot on the wolf children (wolfskinder) of Germany. They were called this because they were mostly orphans who lived on the streets. They lived in packs like hungry wolves scrounging around for bits to eat. Interestingly enough, the main character is also called Anna Wolff.
The story starts in 1945 in Berlin and then jumps to 1948 at the time of The Berlin Blockade. (During the multinational occupation of post–World War II Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway, road, and canal access to the sectors of Berlin under Western control).
Anna and her mother live on the Russian side. Anna has vowed not to leave before she finds her son Felix who was only 3 months old when her mother took him away while she was sick. But this is not her only reason. If she leaves how will Major Timur Voronin find her if he ever comes back? Timur is Russian and not someone Anna should be fraternizing with but she still fell in love with him.
We also meet Ingrid who used to be a  circus performer but who must now perform a different role to ensure a living for her and her husband.

We endure the hardship of the people of Berlin through the eyes of these two women. One good; one not always so good.
Will Anna's dogged determination to find her son pay off and who is following her and leaving sinister messages for her?

Highly recommended
for any fan of historical fiction!

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

Set in 1948 post WWII Berlin, Anna Wolff is looking for her three old son, Felix
A sweeping historical drama that’s powerful and tense, full of espionage, making you feel you’re living in post-war Berlin with all the associated heartache and hardship.
Beautifully written, showing the strength of the human spirit.
Thanks @katefurnivall, @hodderbooks and @netgalley for the eARC

I’ve enjoyed this author’s previous historical novels and was excited to receive this review copy.
It is the story of two women, Anna and Ingrid, trying to survive in Berlin straight after the end of World War 2. Anna lives with her mother in reduced circumstances, desperately trying to find a young child, lost in the ruins of the city. The reasons for this quest become clear as the book progresses.
Ingrid is a circus performer trying to earn money however she is able. Married to Otto, she gets involved with a mysterious and deadly Russian who has his own agenda and who is prepared to use her to achieve his aim.
I don’t know what it was but this book didn’t grip me in the same way as the author’s earlier books. I didn’t really warm to the characters, I’m not sure why and it took me quite a while to complete the novel. Maybe it was too much of a slow read for me. Not a lot really happened and even the denouement towards the end did not particularly surprise or enthral.
I thought that the research that had gone into the book was excellent. I really got the feel of Cold War Berlin and the lives of ordinary people who lived there at the time.
I also must add that I did complete the book so I am giving it 3 stars- it would probably have been 3 1/2 had that been possible as the author’s detailed research was so good.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

Net Galley kindly allowed me to read and review this novel in advance of its publication, I’m so glad that I did. Having read many of Kate’s novels, I had high expectations for this story, and it didn’t disappoint.

This a period of history I know little about, many times we hear about life in Germany after WW1 but I haven’t read anything that covers the period after WW2. I was shocked about the suffering in Berlin during this period and how so many lives relied on flights into West Berlin for survival. I knew that life had been difficult in East Berlin but was under the misconception that once the wall went up all communications between the two sides of the city were cut off. This novel opened my eyes to reality of living and working in different sides of the wall, the suspicion that was everywhere in the city, along with the physical devastation that took place at the time.

I felt like I was reading an ongoing story of war and to most parts that is what this is. The writing weaves together Ingrid and Anna’s stories of survival. At the same time that you are rooting for their lives to work out, there are some really harrowing parts where you just have to stop reading and absorb what you’ve learnt before you can carry on, the nature of the writing however means that you definitely are going to pick the novel straight back up once you’ve done this.

You are painted a picture of a city starving and divided on many levels, the children growing up like unloved, feral animals. How can a city come back from this? As a reader, you are egging Anna on to claim as many as she can as her own whilst searching for the ‘child of the ruins’. The final reality of that child another blow to the humiliation that her family have encountered and a true indicator of the strength of character that Anna possesses.

I learnt so much from reading this novel and if you a history buff, this is a must. I do want to learn more however, the novel stops at a point in time but it leaves me wanting more, how did the city get to the vibrant place that it is today?

Berlin in the years after WW2. Survival amidst the division of the city. Russian troops. Corruption. A lost child,

The interconnecting stories of Anna and Ingrid, both trying to survive in the harshest of environments. Getting work wherever they can, and ending up at a US base. But Anna has a secret and a mission - she is trying to find a lost child.

People Anna comes into contact with start to die in mysterious circumstances - why?

This book graphically describes the horrors experienced by those left in both East and West Berlin after WW2, but it is also a compelling story. A good read.

A long awaited book by Kate Furnivall. I love the way that Kate writes her books. How she incorporates fact in with fiction.
I've not actual read a story that discusses what life was like after WW2, when the Eastern Block countries were forming. Life sounded horrendous.
The two main female characters who the story revolves around lead completely different lives. Both are driven by love and strong beliefs. They become intertwined in the latter part of the story.
It really is a case of good over evil.

I read and loved The Russian Concubine series over ten years ago so I was really looking forward to the latest book by Kate Furnivall.
This was such an emotive and immersive read that certainly stayed with me long after finishing the pages.

The story is set in 1948 in Berlin.
Russian troops have closed all access to the city. Roads, railway lines and waterways are blocked and two million people are trapped, relying on airlifts of food, water and medicine to survive.

In the midst of this we meet Anna, living in East Berlin. Struggling to find food and survive in such an oppressive regime where the Russian police watch every move Anna uses any currency she can trade to try to track down her missing child and feed herself and her mother.
In West Berlin we meet Ingrid who is trying to improve her circumstances by working for a Russian by collecting information.
How do these two women's lives interlink? Who is following Anna and why are people she loves being threatened?
The absolute devastation of Berlin, the shocking violence and the desperation of the people living there is captured perfectly in this story. I could picture the rubble on the streets and the torn down buildings. Worst of all were the starving, dirty orphans struggling to survive in the freezing streets on small crusts of bread.

This book was clearly meticulously researched and the characters were all so well written. I literally couldn’t put this book down and had to know what would happen to each of them. There were some real shocks and some horrific occurrences along the way and I was willing the main characters to survive. A brilliant story that I highly recommend to historical fiction fans.

1948, Berlin. The Second World War has ended, Germany has been divided up into zones and due to the Russian blockade over two millions people rely on the American air drops of food, clean water and medicine to survive and a plane lands every thirty seconds in West Berlin.

Anna Wolff and her mother Luisa live in their apartment in East Berlin, her father was killed in the war and the two women survived the allied bombing, the Russians taking the city and the mass rapes. A few months later she meets Major Timur Voronin a Russian officer, Timur is different to the others and he promises to write to Anna when he was transferred to Warsaw, she never heard from him and now he’s back.

Anna has a three year old son Felix, the last time she saw him he was a three month old baby and she has been looking for him ever since. For some reason trouble seems to follow Anna, she’s not sure if she’s being paranoid but a few dangerous events have happened when she has been out and about and she wonders if someone is trying to kill her?

Ingrid Keller is married to Otto, her father owned a circus before the war, and she and her knife throwing accomplice Fridolf busk on the streets of West Berlin to make money. Both women start working at the Tempelfot Airport, Anna unloading planes and Ingrid in a mobile food van. Anna is looking for any information about Felix, earn money and they receive a hot meal. Ingrid is keeping track of what’s happening on the base and she's associating with both American and Russian spies.

In post-World War Two Berlin, the Soviet forces want the allies out of Germany, to have complete control, spies are everywhere, widespread corruption and people are snatched of the streets. An evil man has Anna in his sights, he will do anything to get what he wants and an unlikely hero steps in to help Anna, her mother and her band of waifs.

I received a digital copy of Child of the Ruins by Kate Furnivall from Hodder & Stoughton in exchange for an honest review. A sweeping historical saga, that has you sitting on the edge of your set, it’s intense, gripping, full of action and acts of espionage. You feel like your living in Berlin at the time, a beautiful city reduced to rubble, packs of orphaned children prowl the streets, looking for food and somewhere to sleep for the night, everyone is desperate, still traumatized by the war, uncertain and nervous.

I have been a big fan of Ms. Furnivall's since I read, The Far Side of The Sun ten years ago, once again she has blown me away with a story full of twists and turns, an ending that wasn't predictable and five stars from me.

"Child of the Ruins" is at times very depressing and at others truly uplifting. It is set in post war Berlin, when the Allied airlift was the only thing keeping people just barely alive. The Russians were definitely the baddies at this time, although there is an exception in this story. In fact, there are a lot of people who are not what they first seem to be, and definitely no one can be trusted or taken at face value. This must have been an incredibly difficult time to live through, and I had not realised quite how bad things were for the local population.

At the heart of the story are some very strong women, obviously Anna and Ingrid but also Anna' mother. There is a great plot twist at the end.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

I have read nearly all of Kate Furnivall's books but have to admit this one took quite a while to grasp my interest!

Set in Berlin after WWII when the city was cut in half, with the Russians controlling the area where Anna the main character lives with her mother. Anna and her mother were raped by Russian soldiers at the end of the war, and a child Felix was born. While Anna was unwell, her mother left the three month baby on the doorstep in the hope someone would take it way away and look after it.

The other main character was Ingrid, living in the Western area of Berlin with her husband Otto and the remains of her fathers circus. Ingrid gets involved with the Russians and act as a go between for an American spy and a Russian spymaster.

The. Polk follows both ladies and how their lives interact.

In post-war East and West Berlin, there unfolds an extraordinary World War Two historical thriller that will grip your heart and leave an indelible mark on your soul. Follow the journey of three remarkable women - Anna, her mother, and Ingrid - as they battle their own inner demons and seek answers and vengeance in the aftermath of war. Their relationships are complex and fraught, as they navigate the treacherous landscape left behind by the ravages of war.

While Anna and Ingrid share similar motivations, their paths to survival and the pursuit of truth diverge greatly. They realize that in order to endure, they must learn the art of negotiation and adeptly navigate the tumultuous post-war world. Life in this time of confinement is a constant struggle, as everyone yearns for a better future and is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their desires.

Anna's trauma runs deep, especially as she searches amongst the ruins for her lost child. The scarcity of resources, be it food, medicine, or money, pushes people to the brink of desperation, leaving them bereft of hope. Abandoned children, vengeful Soviet soldiers, espionage, and yet amidst the chaos, there is also love, care, and an indomitable will to survive.

While this novel is a mesmerizing work of fiction, it draws inspiration from the very real and extraordinary circumstances that impacted the lives of all those involved.

Prepare to embark on an unforgettable journey with these captivating characters as they navigate the dark and uncertain times of war-ravaged Berlin. The tale is both compelling and evocative, filled with thrilling twists and poignant moments that will leave you breathless. And just when you think you know how it will end, prepare to be surprised.

I've been on a roll of reading great new books but some fantastic authors and this one didn't disappoint. This is a book about war, family, disaster and a lost child. Oh but my heart never stopped racing throughout this book as it is filled with tense moments and is such a captivating and at times heartbreaking story.

A read that is slow to start but once it got going it was hard to put down. The war ravages on and the story moves along with it and with its characters, especially Anna and Ingrid. They have so much to tell and it is very emotional and tense. But it is well researched and well written which makes it easy(ish) to read.

If you like historical fiction you will like this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.