The German Wife: A Historical Fiction Novel Based on a True Story from WWII

By Kelly Rimmer

"Skillfully researched and powerfully written, The German Wife will capture you from the first page." --Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London For fans of All the Light We Cannot See and The Tattooist of Auschwitz--from the New York Times bestselling author of The Things We Cannot Say and The Warsaw Orphan returns with a gripping novel inspired by the true story of Operation Paperclip: a controversial secret US intelligence program that employed former Nazis after WWII. Berlin, 1930--When a wave of change sweeps a radical political party to power, Sofie von Meyer Rhodes's academic husband benefits from the ambitions of its newly elected chancellor. Although Sofie and Jürgen do not share the social views growing popular in Hitler's Germany, Jürgen's position with its burgeoning rocket program changes their diminishing fortunes for the better. But as Sofie watches helplessly, her beloved Berlin begins to transform, forcing her to consider what they must sacrifice morally for their young family's security, and what the price for their neutrality will be. Twenty years later, Jürgen is one of the many German scientists offered pardons for their part in the war, and taken to America to work for its fledgling space program. For Sofie, this is the chance to exorcise the ghosts that have followed her across the ocean, and make a fresh start in her adopted country. But her neighbors aren't as welcoming or as understanding as she had hoped. When scandalous rumors about the Rhodes family's affiliation with Hitler's regime spreads, idle gossip turns to bitter rage, and the act of violence that results will tear apart Sofie's community and her family before the truth is finally revealed. "An unforgettable novel that explores important questions highly relevant to the world today." --Christine Wells, author of Sisters of the Resistance Don't miss Kelly Rimmer's newest novel, The Paris Agent, where a family's innocent search for answers brings a long-forgotten, twenty-five-year-old mystery featuring two female SOE operatives comes to light! For more by Kelly Rimmer, look for: - Before I Let You Go - The Things We Cannot Say - Truths I Never Told You - The Warsaw Orphan - The Paris Agent - The Story Keeper

BUY THE BOOK

Published Jun 28, 2022

464 pages

Average rating: 8.15

187 RATINGS

|

|

BOOK TALK

Community Reviews

What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say this historical novel vividly explores the complex lives of Germans and Americans connected to WWII and Operation Paperclip. Reviewers agr...

cac724
8/10 stars
An unforgettable story! Beautifully written, describing clearly drawn characters who are struggling against forces beyond their control. What would we do if we were in their shoes? Would we have made the same choices? Can we understand theirs? Read i!
Nellita23
10/10 stars
An interesting book about Operation Paperclip. This was a program that brought SS officers who were scientist to help develop the space program.

Lizzie is a farmer's daughter whose farm is struggling during the great depression and the dust bowl.

Sofie is the wife of a top German scientist. She opposes Hitler but in order to survive both of them have to fake support for the reich.

The lives cross paths when the space program is moved from El Paso, TX to Huntsville, AL.
pumpkinfreckles
5/10 stars
3 1/2 Stars
Jilian Levinson
Yvette's pick!
aviationmet
8/10 stars
This was a good book with a compelling story. The characters were well developed. I, personally, struggle with this story telling style of multiple POVs and jumps in time, but I was able to mostly keep up, despite having to put the book down multiple times to live life and sleep. The first 75% of the book is a very gradual (almost too slow) build up to the last 25% which all happened so fast and kept me up late into the night trying to finish.

See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.