This is my first time reading one of Ellie Midwood’s historical fiction novels, and it won’t be my last. Despite all the physics details and backstory, I was immediately engrossed in this story. I rarely see a new author who entices me to read a book that isn’t in my academic wheelhouse, but When the World Went Silent did just that. I got hooked on the first few chapters. I found myself immersed in the world of the atomic bomb and the characters who fought hard to avoid developing such a weapon of mass destruction, especially in Hitler's Germany. It was such an interesting story angle I couldn’t put the book down, staying up late into the night to finish the tale. Mina, deaf since she was five because of a nasty bout with measles, hears the horror stories of what Hitler wants to do to disabled people from her mother, a nurse, who quits her job when she is told euthanasia is how the Third Reich will deal with disabled newborns. As Mina fears for her life, she becomes trapped in a dilemma between her family's love, Hitler's atrocities, and her deep affection for education, especially physics. When she meets Siggy at university, her world changes as she becomes obligated to help a team of scientists develop the atomic bomb for Germany before the Allies do. As the war rages, Mina falls in love and becomes a member of a team of scientists who fight to keep the bomb out of Hitler’s hands. WWII history is richly woven throughout the story from a unique perspective. Often, we forget to take into consideration the views of many of Germany’s citizens as they are forced to live in Hitler’s clutches. The characters are so real, and I felt like I was walking through the halls of that great university and science center with the main characters. As Mina learns the Nazis want her for her skills in physics and numbers, she finds ways to help her fellow teammates delay the bomb-making for as long as she can. Although the book is long in physics, equations, and science, I realized halfway through that this information was critical to the storyline and well-researched. With a powerful female main character and a few of her male colleagues, Mina’s story appealed to me historically, culturally, and educationally. The plot was well-driven and helped show the intricacies of a society forced to bend to Hitler’s horrors but also to find ways to manipulate and work around his evils.

I couldn’t put the book down as I read late into the night. Ellie Midwood is now on my must-read list of new authors. A full four and a half stars. Thank you to Net Galley, Bookouture, and Ellie Midwood for the opportunity to read this wonderful, free ARC. This review is voluntary and is mine alone.

Ellie Midwood has crafted yet another magnificent novel centered around a powerful, extraordinary, and riveting powerhouse female character. Within this novel we meet Mina Best, an intelligent, bright, and passionate young woman who is following her passion in Austria at the start of World War II: physics. Mina is no stranger to defying odds, as she was left deaf after contracting measles at a young age, Mina knows life is hard. She knows she has to fight for her place in this world. While attending university, Mina unfortunately attracts the attention of the very people she detests most: the Nazi’s. Now she has to fight to stay alive, but come hell or high water, fight is what Mina knows best.

Ellie Midwood does an extraordinary job at showcasing the knowledge of physics as she brings Mina’s character to life page by page. It’s clear that Ellie did her research, just like precious Mina does in the book. The messages behind the novel are powerful, moving, and empowering. I absolutely loved this book!

This book tells the story of Mina who due to an illness as a child left her deaf so she now communicated by reading lips . The germans were rounding up people that they deemed as defective so she decided to try and hide from others the fact that she was deaf. She is a very gifted and talented young girl who has a flair with numbers and physic which is soon noticed by a selct group working on making an atomic bomb .
A good story and would like to keep following the story of Mina.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ellie Midwood, and Bookoutoure for this arc of When the World Went Silent, out August 9, 2024!

📜Quick Summary: When Mina was 5, she contracted the measles and after some complications during the recovery, became deaf. The world prior to this loss was a loud place; the resulting silence, almost a solace for her mind. Mina is brilliant and as a student studying physics, is wanted to build an atomic bomb. When she meets Siggy, her world shifts. Can they stop the production of this bomb, or will German soldiers find out her nefarious plans to stop this world wide catastrophe?

💡Thoughts and Feelings: I loved this novel! I love historical fiction, and whenever a story can pull me in as fast as this one did, I know it is going to be a winner! This book made me feel so many emotions, from sadness to happiness, anxiety to bravery, nervous to courageous, and I truly felt as though Mina’s experiences were all captured well. For being “tossed around” for her intellect, she handled many scenarios like a pro…something I would have been terrified about!

🙋🏼‍♀️Moving Character: Mina was a force to be reckoned with the minute she was born. Overcoming her disability, that she saw as a tribute to her intrinsic personality, was really something to be admired. I loved her bravery, her intelligence, and her self awareness. She was never embarrassed about being deaf, even when it challenged her. I loved watching her grow into herself, and be proud of who she became.

👍🏻or 👎🏻: Thumbs up all the way! If you are a historical fiction buff, you will enjoy Mina’s journey and the story she tells.


🌟Overall Rating: 4.5 stars!

This novel was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

I loved it! Which sounds a bit odd given the storyline and that it opens with the aftermath of the Hiroshima bomb fall out. I was drawn in to the world of silence that is Mina’s since losing her hearing at age 5, the fear her family feel for her in the Nazi world where she is considered defective even though she is far more intelligent and a super mathematician way beyond her years. So well written and well paced it’s hard to put down, just one more page to see what happens, before you know it another hour has passed. I never knew the Germans had been working on splitting the atom for nuclear fuel and the Nazi’s then, of course, wanted to make a bomb, the scientists involved alongside Mina were heroes. Such an interesting and different read with a very satisfying ending.

“When the World Went Silent” is a WWII book by Ellie Midwood. This book follows a woman, Mina, who is fascinated with numbers - numbers related to math and physics specifically. She is deaf (not born that way) so there are some challenges thrown in her direction. She gains the attention of a teacher during her studies at school - and is then recruited to work on Germany’s atomic bomb. I found this book really slow to begin, but once it picked up it was a comfortable read. There’s a bit of physics and atomic bomb information thrown at the reader (if you know someone comfortable with the basic science, ask them your questions - or ask your favorite search engine) but Ms. Midwood does a good job balancing the information and moving the story along. I found this an interesting read - and liked the Author’s Note giving some information about Mina and some of the people she worked with.

This was my first novel by Midwood and it won’t be my last. Not sure how I did not know about this truly gifted author of historical fiction.
Set in Berlin in 1942. Mina has been deaf since she was five. She is now grown and a gifted student in physics at an Austrian university. She has always felt out of place, until she meets Siggy. He is a fellow student.

As the war breaks out and the SS arrive at her doorstep, she is taken to Berlin. She knows how Hitler feels about disabilities, so she has to wonder why she is taken. She soon realizes she is taken because of her abilities in physics.

This turns out to be troublesome because the Germans want her to help them build an atomic bomb. Even though Mina is deaf, she can read lips, which can prove to her advantage.

Its hard to find a new story in historical fiction, but Midwood nailed it with this interesting protagonist.

Thank you Bookouture for the gifted e-ARC.

WHEN THE WORLD WENT SILENT by ELLIE MIDWOOD is a WW11 novel with a difference, and I found it impossible to put down. The theme is that of man trying to destroy the planet, as we see Mina Best, a young deaf nuclear scientist, being forced to work on a bomb that will win the war for Germany and leave total destruction in its wake. I like to see the solid strength shown in her fellow scientists at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physics, who with her, do all they can to stop a bomb being made……
Her boyfriend Ziggy resists the Nazis in his own way by intercepting messages for the Allies while supposedly supporting the Reich…..
There is a lot more to the story,including the subjects of euthenasia and forced sterilization of “undesitables”, and of course the horrific treatment of the Jews, but I will not tell you any more for fear of spoiling things for you.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bookouture. The opinions in this review are completely my owb.

Firstly I would like to thank netgalley and Bookoutune and the author Ellie Midwood for an early copy of her book..

This is my first read from this author, enjoyed the storyline too much physics talk for me in this book.my rating is 3.5 rounded to four.Mina is deaf not from birth.she wants to go to university will she be found out she is deaf.she lip reads..she meets a friend siggy and sent to Berlin and rumours are saying there is a Nazi euthanasia program can she hide her disability....good read...

This is a novel set in WWII about an incredibly smart young woman who lost her hearing at a young age from a measles complication. She manages to fake her way thru life reading lips. She is thought to be beneficial to the Nazi regime so is allowed to participate in high secret weapons development. The book is compelling and definitely a page turner. Great cast of characters. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

The amazing story of a young deaf woman fighting to keep the A bomb away from the Nazis and further her love of nuclear physics. I want more!