Wow, what a beautiful story of love and family and creating new family after the war.
I liked the moving back and forth through time and seeing the story piece itself together. Learning about the family and how they came to be. Through the heartache and the pain, but learned to move forward to create a new family.
A beautiful story, perfect for book clubs for discussion.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

What a lovely story. It’s woven together beautifully from three different points of view- Katja (the Mum), Lou (the Dad) both told their stories during the war, and then Jo (their daughter) tells her story in the current time. It’s hard for me, living comfortably in Australia, to understand what life was like in the war, but this story gives me a good idea especially since it is based on a true story. People were so brave back then and had so many terrible experiences, no wonder some of them wouldn’t talk about the war and acted cold and very shut off. For Jo, it was her mother, Katja, who seemed cold during her childhood and Jo could never understand why her mother couldn’t be warm and loving. The story is finished off very well with all questions answered and you'll find yourself thinking 'of course, that explains it all'.

Wow. Three stories in one. Two so moving. I could not put it down. Jo’s mothers flat was being renovated and things were found and you learn about her parents lives. Her father was a British airman and he was a prisoner of war in the Second World War. Her mother was a German married to a German solider who died during the war. Their stories were moving and the things you do for love . Jo finally realises why her mother was the way she was. You moved back and forward. It was gripping and so sad at times. The ending was amazing and how her parents first met was unbelievable .. She also had an amazing best friend. You have to read it.

Wow...this book hit me like a sledgehammer. Such a lovely, nostalgic cover for a devastating story set in World War II. Told in dual timelines, Germany 1943 and London 1994, we learn of Katje's wartime experiences as she tells them to her adult daughter Jo for the very first time. In the same timeframe, Jo found a diary belonging to her father Lou, now deceased, that details his experiences as a POW. She was completely unaware of any of this family history although she is almost 50 years old.

To say that reading what Katje & Lou endured was gut-wrenching is an understatement. Lou suffered through the Long March in January 1945, when the POWs were forced to walk hundreds of miles through Poland and Germany to Berlin. The details are grim. Katje was also forced to walk from her safe haven in the Sudetenland back to Berlin. Her nightmare continued in Berlin as it was occupied by Russian soldiers. There were times that I just had to put this book down to have a break from the despair. On the plus side, this book has the most beautiful love letter in it that you'll ever read as well as the most heartwarming reunion between Lou and his elderly dog, Ruby.

There is a theme of shame and secrets that threads itself through the story from the very first page to the last one, how both will weigh you down. But there is also a message of how forgiveness, acceptance, and finally letting it all go allows you the grace to live the life you deserve. It was a privilege to read this one. It really was. My parents were also indelibly marked by World War II as was a whole generation.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read the ARC. All opinions and the review are my own.

If you enjoy books set during WWII, then this book is for you! Jo, who is going through a divorce, has never had a positive relationship with her German mother but offers to support her in convalescence hoping that she will be able to form a bond with her and find out more about her past. The novel, based on the author's family's experiences, explores the experiences of a young woman living in Germany in WWII and that of an English POW both skillfully woven to allow the reader to experience the desperation and terror of war as well as hope for the future. An excellent read!

Based on a true story. This is sharp, beautifully written and incredibly powerful. I have been completely pulled in from very early on in this one. It has definitely been a book that is bound to be a success.

This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher and gifted author. Historical fiction that reads like nonfiction. A mother and a daughter with secrets. A diary adds suspense and history. Enjoy this novel by this talented author.