Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman

Prisoner of Night and Fog

by Anne Blankman

An ordinary girl faces an extraordinary choice in this gripping, coming-of-age tale of secrets and courage set in Nazi Germany, perfect for readers who enjoyed The Book Thief and Beneath a Scarlet Sky.'

'It's terrifying and incredible to think how much of this story is true' Elizabeth Wein, author of Code Name Verity

Munich, 1931. Gretchen Muller has been cherished and protected by Adolf Hitler ever since her father, a senior Nazi officer, sacrificed himself to save the life of the Führer. And now Germany has the chance to be great once more, under the command of her 'Uncle Dolf'.

But secrets cannot be silenced forever. When Gretchen meets a young Jewish reporter named Daniel Cohen, who claims that her father was actually murdered, she becomes swept up in a desperate and dangerous search for the truth. With the full might of the ever-powerful Nazi party on her tail, and the motives of her dearest friends now in question, Gretchen must risk everything to determine her own allegiances - even if her choices could get her and Daniel killed.


What readers are saying about Prisoner of Night and Fog:

'Takes a mature approach to a very serious subject and immerses the reader in the twisted, violent culture of Nazism in the years before Hitler came to power'

'Blankman has woven her clever and well-researched plot around real people and real events - not least the character of Hitler himself'

'A great read for anyone who wants a gripping page turner and particularly to those wanting to find out more about a grimly fascinating period of history'

Reviewed by Kelly on

5 of 5 stars

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4.5 Stars
http://www.divabooknerd.com/2014/06/prisoner-of-night-and-fog-by-anne.html
Usually I'm not a fan of historical fiction, but I really enjoyed this. It had the making of a semi fictional storyline, mixing fact and fiction while navigating an important historical event, the rise of Hitler. Prisoner of Night and Fog tells the story of Gretchen, a fictional character placed in the very real world of Nazi Germany. She's been brought up in a single parent family, where they relied on Uncle Dolf to keep the family afloat and run a boardinghouse, where Gretchen and her brother Reinhard live. She's been brought up to despise the Jewish, and has never questioned those beliefs. But long before she meets Daniel, she begins to see the danger in the propaganda the National Socialist Party feed into the fears of her fellow Germans.

Daniel is a brilliant character, not only does he show an incredible amount of strength and determination, but he emulates a sadness for not only his people, but for those who can't see past their intolerant sectarian views. But Daniel doesn't want to educate others, seeing as it surely would have lead to his demise, but he wants to uncover a truth that Hitler and his party have hidden within their history. Although Gretchen still holds onto her beliefs, she starts to see the truth in Daniel's words, and slowly releases that her life, what she's been told, is based on a lie.

I really don't know much about Nazi Germany during that era, apart from a few minutes of the documentaries seen on the National Geographic channel. Most of us see Hitler as a cold blooded tyrant, and rightly so, but Prisoner of Night and Fog shows the man with a softer side, the man who enjoyed fine art and music, cafes and entertaining. But beneath the surface, lurked the psychopath, a man that turned quickly when questioned or crossed. I really enjoyed the mix of fiction and the true to life storyline, it was incredible. I was so struck with both Daniel and Gretchen and the hint of what the two young lovers now face, as Hitler is on the verge of rising to power. I simply loved it, it surprised me and looking forward to seeing where the series goes.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 14 June, 2014: Finished reading
  • 14 June, 2014: Reviewed