A Dance in the Ashes

An absorbing story of survival, betrayal and love in immediate post World War 2 Berlin.

The story is told from the point of view of Mathilde who struggles to feed her family whilst not knowing what has happened to her husband, Franz, a Gestapo officer .

She meets Camillo, a Roma Gypsy who despite the Nazis attempt to exterminate the Gypsies has survived the war.

The descriptions of immediate post-war Berlin resonate very strongly and the authors have obviously done their research.

The viewpoint of Matilde is particularly powerful. She is one of the Trümmerfrauen women who, in the aftermath of World War II, helped clear and reconstruct the bombed cities of Germany. Her efforts to protect her family and provide for them show a degree of hardship many may not be aware of.

However, the book is not all doom and gloom, it’s also a love story and an excellent portrayal of the human spirit over debilitating circumstances.

If you have read any of the David Downing John Russell series, Rebecca Cantrell’s Hannah Vogel series or just like a personal touching story then I’d recommend this you.

“A Dance in the Ashes” is a powerful and captivating post-war story of survival, forbidden love and betrayal.

Berlin, summer of 1945, Hitler is dead and the population is fatefully linked against the background of the destroyed capital of the Reich, nothing is standing and people are starving. The story recounts how three of them managed to survive during this tough time: it tells how Mathilde struggled to feed her family and how she coped with the day to day life while Frank, her husband and Gestapo officer, eluded the Russians only to face the Ami. It is also the story of Camillo, a Roma Gypsy and acrobat, and how he helped Mathilde, the wife of his enemy to survive only to use her to revenge the murder of his family.

This amazing story alternates between Mathilde and Frank’s point of views. The sophisticated prose and dialogues bring post war Berlin to life, particularly well portrayed is the degree of hardship the people endured and the description of insurmountable rubble to clear. Mathilde was one of the women tasked to this job and did so in order to feed her family. The characterization is superb. The role played by the cast is not only believable but very moving. It is a wonderful change to see the ravage of war from the perspective of Germans. Human suffering is universal I totally agree with those saying this….The SS officers returning home were not gently greeted most had to go into hiding to escape the Russian’s wrath or simply gave themselves up to the Americans.

This is an excellent novel of courage and determination. Well-done, this is another book I enjoyed immensely

Without doubt this is a special novel. It approaches the period immediately after the second world war in a unique way.

So many questions.
So many conflicts of interest.
So much to think about.

I love the subtle way the relationships of those involved are drawn out.

'The people remained temporarily alone in defeat, but the Russians would return soon and occupy the city.'

'Mathilde put down her buckets, took the blossom and laid it on the face of the dead man, and closed his eyes.'

In essence this is a love story, but within the context of a defeated nation in turmoil. The story highlights some disturbing themes:
Family relationships,
Family trust and mistrust,
The reality of war,
War crimes and occupation,
Torn loyalties,

The whole together encapsulates the true horrors, hopes and fears for those living and arriving in war torn Berlin as peace is arriving.

I found this book haunting, disturbing and yet full of hope. I recommend this those who are interested in a different view of life at the end of the war.

This was an amazing book. I was taken to Germany in the aftermath of WWII and the book gripped me throughout. A tale like this is not often told in English--to Americans. We don't often see the tragedy in the ruins. Spoiler alert: Or Americans (the same ones giving out chocolate and nylon stockings) betraying their sources--with a smile and without guilt. Well done.