The Girls of the Glimmer Factory
By: Jennifer Coburn
Review Score: 4 Stars

Boogie’s Bulletpoints
•Historical Fiction
•Dual POV
•Intense and engaging


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The Girls of the Glimmer Factory was kindly provided as an ARC by NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark. Thank you for allowing me to enjoy this wonderful book!

I was so excited to read this books book! I loved Coburn’s “Cradles of the Reich”, so I was eager to read another book by her.

Luckily, this one did not disappoint.

We meet Hannah and Hilde, former best friends who are now on opposite sides of the war. Hannah is a jew living in the Theresienstadt Ghetto, and Hilde works for the Nazis.

It was so interesting to learn more about Theresienstadt. I knew about it in general; this it was used for Nazi propaganda, was where many jews ended up before being transported to death camps, and that this ghetto was shown to groups like the Red Cross in order to disguise the more awful camps.

Coburn really takes you into that camp, showing you the things were not as they seemed. Add in Hilde and Hannah’s friendship, and you have such an engaging piece of historical fiction.

Coburn is becoming an auto buy author for me, I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

If you like historical fiction, definitely check this one out!

I really loved this story. I love historical fiction and I’ve actually been to Terezin. This book is perfect if you like WW2 literature, and I think it could be great teaching tool for high school students.

From the bestselling author Jennifer Coburn (Cradles of the Reich comes her latest moving, terrifying, and inspiring tale, THE GIRLS OF THE GLIMMER FACTORY —inspired by the real story of Theresienstadt, a moving historical tale of two childhood friends, from resistance, art, survival, friendship, and dangers of propaganda in a horrific time in our history.

About...

Hannah is a Jewish prisoner who wants to reunite with her family. She was once free and now a Jewish prisoner at Theresienstadt, a model ghetto where Nazis plan to make a propaganda film to convince the world that Jewish people are living well in the camps.

The Theresienstadt ghetto was opened in Nov 1941 and set up in a former military fortress in the Czech village of Terezin, north of Prague.

Hilde is a Nazi-ambitious filmmaker who has clawed her way onto the crew for the sham documentary "Hitler Gives a City to the Jews." A true believer in the Nazi cause.

The two former childhood friends are on opposite sides. When they face off, they could change the course of one another's lives.

Hannah's determination to reveal the truth is awe-inspiring. Along with other young resistance members, they vow to disrupt the filming and derail the increasingly frequent deportations to death camps in the east, showcasing their bravery in the face of unimaginable danger.

My thoughts...

THE GIRLS OF THE GLIMMER FACTORY is meticulously researched and beautifully written. Hauntingly, in reality, Theresienstadt was a ghetto where prisoners provided slave labor for the German war effort. They survived on starvation rations and lived in squalor. It also served as a way station to death camps in the east, primarily Auschwitz.

As the author mentions in her notes, a vibrant cultural life emerged despite these conditions. A testament to the resilience of artists, musicians, and intellectuals imprisoned at Theresienstadt. Embracing joy was an act of resistance, a beacon of hope in the darkest times.

However, it was a seriously horrific and terrifying time in history, with thousands of prisoners spending years at Theresienstadt, and thousands were deported to death camps and died of starvation and disease in the ghetto.

Thanks to the author for telling this powerful, insightful, and captivating story and how propaganda was used as a weapon of war. It is a gripping story of human values tested under the most horrific of circumstances.

From themes of friendship, courage, bravery, self-interest, consequences, strength, family, sacrifice, community, and loyalty to hope, love, and redemption.

From good versus evil, the author explores the traumatic, vivid setting, these two childhood friends (on opposite sides), and how friendships can carry us through even in the darkest times.

It is a timely novel and retelling in today's world with parallels of dictators that continue to deny facts and replace them with their self-serving agendas. This book serves as a valuable lesson for our times, enlightening us about the dangers of propaganda and the importance of truth.

Audiobook...

In addition to the e-book, I listened to the audiobook narrated by a favorite narrator —Cassandra Campbell, a perfect voice for the characters. It elevated the story and brought it to life for an outstanding performance and listening experience—genuinely spellbinding.

Recs...

The novel is for fans of the author and those who enjoy well-written historical WWII fiction based on events and women that have shaped our lives. For those who enjoy works by Pam Jenoff, Kristin Harmel, and Heather Morris. An ideal choice for book clubs and further discussions. (A Reading Group Guide included a fascinating conversation with the author.)

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for an advanced review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts. #CoverLove

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JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Jan 28, 2025
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A heartfelt thank you to NetGalley and SourceBooks for the opportunity to read The Girls of the Glimmer Factory by Jennifer Coburn. This novel is a heartbreaking yet profoundly important story that sheds light on the horrors of the Theresienstadt camp during World War II—a place I hadn't known much about before reading.

Told through dual perspectives—one from a young Nazi girl in Germany and the other from a Jewish prisoner at Theresienstadt—the book masterfully reveals the chilling propaganda tactics used to deceive both victims and the outside world. It was truly terrifying to learn how Jewish people were manipulated into believing the camp was a safe haven, and even more shocking that the Nazis staged an elaborate deception for Red Cross inspectors, so convincing that they deemed it unnecessary to investigate Auschwitz afterward.

Jennifer Coburn’s storytelling is both gripping and deeply moving, immersing readers in the painful realities of history while highlighting the dangers of blind trust in propaganda. This novel serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of questioning narratives and seeking the truth. A must-read for those who appreciate historical fiction that educates, enlightens, and leaves a lasting impact.

The Girls of the Glimmer Factory is historical fiction at its best - the characters and plot are so real that it would be easy to believe it is truly historical non-fiction, Excellent job, Jennifer Coburn!

This story was illuminating and sad as I did not know as much about this camp as others. The story of Hannah’s journey was sad to read but also showed her resilience during the time. I also appreciate the fact that despite her surviving, there was still great loss she experienced and will forever have to deal with that trauma. As for Hilde, I love the touch and connection it brought from the previous book. I also loved seeing her insight from the “inside” of the Nazi Propaganda machine. Them showing that not all the people in the party knew all the details of the Death camps is something that was true. I also appreciate that she didn’t just couldn’t get out of it which showed how ruthless it was when you betrayed the party.

Hannah is a German Jewish girl during WWII living in Austria when the Nazis take over. Her family is ready to escape to Palestine but the night of their journey Hannah is struck with a high fever and has to stay behind with her grandfather. Later, she and her grandfather are sent to the ghetto Theresienstadt which was supposedly nicer than other camps (they called it a spa town and Hitler's Gift to the Jews). The Nazis used Theresienstadt as the location to film their propaganda videos for the world to see that the Jews under Nazi rule were really doing just fine. In reality, Theresienstadt was a way station for the concentration camps and the conditions were just as dire. Hilde was Hannah's best friend back in Germany and is now a loyal Nazi who has been sent to Theresienstadt to film the propaganda. When she recognizes Hannah, she uses her old friend to help get her film done and prove that she deserves to be recognized for her talents and Hannah uses her as well (for survival).

I loved the Cradles of the Reich, another book by the author so I was excited to read this. I had never learned about the Theresienstadt Ghetto before so another new fact about the Holocaust in one month. Story wise, Hilde's character was so unsympathetic (and not just because she was a Nazi) that I really dreaded reading her POV. Of course reading Hannah’s POV was difficult, but much more interesting and engrossing. This was a well researched novel, but for some reason I just couldn't fully connect with the story, I think part of the issue for me was the pacing and how long it took to understand the connection between the two characters.

3.75 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC

This was decent. It's definitely not an easy read, as we read the story from both the perspectives of a Jewish prisoner, Hannah, and of a woman Nazi fully believing in the regime, Hilde. The things Hilde and her "coworkers" believed about Jews were vile, and the things Hannah and her loved ones endured in the prison camp were heinous and inhumane.

Other reviews mention that Hilde is from Coburn's previous book, Cradles of the Reich, but they are standalones and do not need to be read together (I have not read that one yet).

While this was informative, as I had never even heard of Theresienstadt before this book, I wanted more from it. It's a bit slow in the beginning and some of the backstory felt unnecessary, but it does pick up. It is clearly thoroughly researched, and I learned a lot about this camp the Nazis used as propaganda to lie to the world about how "well" Jews were treated while they waited out the war.

The title is a bit misleading as I thought the glimmer factory would play a bigger part in this story.

The ending felt abrupt. I'd have liked a little more closure.

Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and author Jennifer Coburn for the arc!

This captivating historical fiction is one of two childhood friends torn apart by war with journeys that lead them in two very different directions. One friend Hannah, a Jewish woman & one friend Hilde, a Nazi activist & propaganda film maker … their stories interwoven with both sides represented.

Not often do we see pov’s written from the perspective of those “innocently” (and I throw that word in there very loosely) believing out of loyalty of country that the German causes were righteous ones, but I felt the author handled this with care. Although, I couldn’t find much to love about Hilde & I still had no empathy for her, the perspective was a fresh one for a WW2 prison camp story.

The author was well researched & I learned a lot about the making of the propaganda films & their staging & also about the “glimmer factory” which was the process of mica splitting & how that mineral was used in the war efforts.

Haunting & informative this one will break your heart & yet somehow fill it back up with hope & faith in the human spirit.

If you love reading historical fiction—specifically WWII stories—then you must give Jennifer Coburn’s novels a try. Her latest, THE GIRLS OF THE GLIMMER FACTORY is so incredibly crafted and meticulously researched. It’s a very impressive read that cannot be missed.

QUICK SYNOPSIS:
“𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘝𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘞𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢, 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘢𝘻𝘪 “𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘱” 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘥𝘵.”

The novel follows two young women, Hannah and Hilde who give the reader two very crucial (and opposing) points of view. Hannah is a Jewish prisoner and Hilde fully supports the Nazi cause. As you can imagine, their individual experiences are extremely different, yet the author expertly weaves their stories together to create one powerful piece of historical fiction.

The novel brings light to the propaganda and disgusting lies told by the Nazis to convince the world that the Jewish people were actually living and being treated quite well in the camps. Hilde wants her film to showcase this, and Hannah wants to expose the ugly truth.

Please don’t skip the author’s note! Coburn discusses her writing process and the extensive research put into writing this novel, which even included traveling to the Czech Republic! I’ve read a lot of WWII novels over the years, but have never heard of Theresienstadt, so I appreciated the history lesson on this specific prison camp.

Like most novels about this time period, the subject matter is disturbing and heavy, so it’s heartbreaking and absolutely maddening to read about. Be prepared for an emotional read with a nail-biting and heart-pounding conclusion.

4/5 stars for THE GIRLS OF THE GLIMMER FACTORY! It’s out now!

Hannah and Hilde were the best of childhood friends. Unfortunately, World War 2 separates them and places them on opposite sides. Hilde pledges her allegiance to the Nazi cause while Hanna finds herself in the ghetto of Theresienstadt.
When Hilde visits Theresienstadt to make a documentary, the girls are re-united. Both have a hidden agenda. Jennifer Coburn has written a beautiful novel of broken friendships, broken hearts and broken promises.

I loved how this book highlighted the propaganda from the war and from both sides. I feel like that aspect is not talked about enough so I liked the new perspective on the time period. It was an emotional read especially when it came to the time in Theresienstadt for Hannah as she battles with herself on what to do. Hilde has a lot of passion even if it was for the wrong reasons and I really enjoyed her growth. The writing is captivating and immersive, I didn’t want to put it down.

Thank you @jennifercoburnbooks @suzyapprovedbooktours @netgalley and the publisher for the gifted copy.

I've read several books about the Holocaust and I had never heard of Theresienstadt. The Holocaust Encyclopedia states that Theresienstadt was described as a "spa town" in Nazi propaganda. When the Red Cross came to do inspections, the Nazi staged social and cultural events to show that the Jews were having a wonderful time when in actuality they endured horrible conditions at the work camp while waiting to be sent to Auschwitz or other extermination camps.

The story is told from the alternating perspectives of Hannah and Hilde who were childhood friends. Hannah is a young Jewish prisoner at Theresienstadt who works in the mica factory. Hannah believed if she was hard working and stayed under the radar, she would remain where she was and eventually be released after the war was over, but after seeing her friends killed and learning the brutal truth about what is happening, she eventually joins the resistance. Hilde is a childhood friend of Hannah's who becomes part of the Nazi regime to further her career as a film maker by making a film about how well the Jews are being treated at Theresienstadt. The subject matter makes this a very difficult read and I found myself getting quite emotional. The betrayal that Hannah felt from Hilde was both heartbreaking and infuriating.

The afterward written by the author was fascinating to me. Please read that to appreciate all of the research that went into writing this book. This is such an important book for this time because while we must "never forget", we must also never let such atrocities happen to any group of people again.

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for allowing me to read an early release of this book which was published January 28, 2025 and is available for purchase now.

The Girls of the Glimmer Factory

“In its three and a half years, Theresienstadt served as a Jewish ghetto and way station to death camps in the east. Prisoners performed slave labor for the Nazi war effort, received starvation rations, and lived in crowded barracks. At the same time, many prisoners at Theresienstadt were world-renowned artists, musicians, and intellectuals, so a vibrant cultural scene sprang to life.”

The Girls of the Glimmer Factory follows two young women, Hannah - a Jewish prisoner at the Theresienstadt camp, and Hilde - a Nazi trying to rise within the ranks.

I appreciated learning about Theresienstadt, the “model camp” Nazi’s created for propaganda purposes. I had not known about it until this book. The phrase over the gates there were the same as Auschwitz “work sets you free.” It was used for fake propaganda videos to show the world how “well” Jewish people were living/treated (to be clear, they weren’t treated well) and it was also used for Red Cross inspections.

It’s clear that this book was well researched! It was cool that the author continued Hilde’s perspective (a character in her first book, The Cradles of the Reich) into The Girls of the Glimmer Factory - although her perspective was very hard to read.

While I enjoy learning about pieces of history I’m unaware of, and I love the alternating perspectives of the two characters, I wasn’t *totally* captivated by the writing. I understand where the title comes from, but it played such a minor part of the story that it didn’t totally make sense to me. I also guessed the ‘twist’ early on.

Overall, it’s a powerful read that will teach you a lot! Huge thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the eARC!

This was an interesting book. The author does a good job at portraying what life may have been like for the inmates at Theresienstadt and how different life was in the Jewish ghetto compared to the “model village” portrayed in propaganda films. However, the most fascinating aspect of a book like this is the afterword, where the author explains what parts of the story and which characters are fact versus fiction, how and why certain details were altered, who inspired certain fictional characters and what inspired certain fictional events, and sources for more information about the factual people and events in the book.

Jennifer Coburn has written an well researched and frighteningly relevant story. The stories of Hannah and Hilde and how their paths diverged were sad but interesting. I am a fan of historical fiction, even when the events are painful to read about. “But it happened. And we must make sure it never happens again."
Thanks #NetGalley #Sourcebooks

Thank you to Netgalley for this e- copy of The Girls of the Glimmer Factory by Jennifer Coburn in exchange for a honest review . Having read Coburn’s previous novel Cradles of the Reich , I can say that this novel is just as powerful and well researched. Set in Theresienstadt , the model Nazi concentration camp this novels center around the 2 main characters Hannah and Hilde. Hannah is a Jewish young adult sent to the camp with her grandfather when smallpox prevents her from traveling to Palestine with her family . Working to translate the Torah for a museum and then as a worker in a mica factory Hannah is forced to endure harsh living conditions while trying to survive concentration camp life . Hilde is an ambitious German Nazi filmographer and former friend of Hannah’s from Germany who needs Hilde’s language expertise to make her film that falsely portrays an ideal lifestyle of the Jewish residents at Theresienstadt.Will Hannah help her and at one point is Hilde willing to save Hannah ? Read the book and find out.Great twist at the end .

This is quite a long book to read but once it drew me in it had me hooked. Such a strong story of war, friendship and how different people view situations. And this is the story of two young women, two friends, Hannah and Hilde, and what the story it is.

This is such a well written and descriptive book which kept me interested and enthralled throughout. I enjoyed the stories of these two women, their stories really get to the heart. Great characters that are well developed and a book that kept me reading, never boring and always poerful and emotional.

Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thanks to Net Galley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the ARC of The Girls of Glimmer Factory by Jennifer Coburn. Once childhood friends, Hannah and Hilde are reunited during WWII at a Jewish prison camp/ghetto.. (Theresienstadt). Hannah is the reluctant resister, while Hilde is a filmmaker spewing propaganda. The story, told from two points of view is a reminder of the terrible atrocities endured by the Jewish people by the Nazis. Very well researched.

"Six million Jews and five million other people murdered because Hitler deemed them unworthy of life...it happened. And we must make sure it never happens again."

I have read hundreds of WWll historical fiction novels but none seems so currently the most important as The Girls of the Glimmer Factory, by the best in this genre, author Jennifer Coburn.

With minute detail this writer crafts the horrific story of Theresienstadt, a Nazi camp used for slave labor in their factories. The Ministry of Enlightenment and Propaganda, yes this existed, planned to use the camp for a documentary, Hitler Gives A City To The Jews, for their lies to the world that the Jews were being treated well. Never mind that it held 155,000 prisoners, 88,000 sent to the death camps, and 35,440 died of starvation and disease.

Hannah and Hilde were childhood friends. Hannah was sent to the camp. Hilde became a Nazi wanna be film maker. Hannah was resilient. Hilde was narcissistic. When they meet again one thinks she's free but the other knows her heart is freer.

Needless to say, there are many devastating heartbreaking moments in this book. But there are also astonishing moments of bravery, kindness, and generosity in the face of despicable cruelty. It will leave you feeling a bit uncomfortable knowing that Hitler's "fake news" is still thriving in our modern world. Thankfully, this writer knows there's power in keeping the truth alive.

I received a free copy of this book from #sourcebooks via #NetGalley for a fair & honest review. All opinions are my own