The German Wife is a Kelly Rimmer World War 2 novel that focuses on the lives of two women, Lizzie and Sophie, one American and one German, who end up in the same community after circumstances bring them together and they must confront their prejudices and beliefs about one another’s culture. Set across two different time periods (1930’s Germany and 1950’s Midwest America), this book examines what pre-war Germany was like for those who did not follow the Nazi regime and their experiences fleeing to America to being a new life.

I picked up this book as a fun summer read to enjoy while sitting on my porch, trying to keep cool with the fan on and a glass of lemonade in hand. I have not read any of this author’s other works, but I was intrigued by the concept of this novel and the numerous positive reviews. I love stories about women during wartime because it seems like they often have more captivating stories of survival and ingenuity in comparison to traditional wartime books. I especially love WW2 historical fiction since it was such a fascinating time in history and culture that has always fascinated me.

This book took me a little longer to get into than I anticipated because the constant back and forth of the two women’s’ stories across the two time periods was a bit disorienting at first, but I soon was used to it and connected with each character. Kelly Rimmer’s writing style is very conversational and focuses on the relationships between characters heavily. I especially loved the descriptions of what life as like for those in Germany during Hitler’s rise to power and how gradual many of the changes we now see as horrendous were in order to make them palatable to the German population.

The story also examines the relationship between Sophie and her husband Jürgen who were separated for many years due to the war and their challenges in reconnecting in a new country. Their relationship was one of the highlights of the book and felt very authentic and real to what couples separated by war would experience in trying to start life again after so many years apart.

In all, I enjoyed this book, maybe not as much as I had hoped, but it was a fun summer read that took a new perspective on WW2 and made me think about what life was like for those that came from Germany to America after the war and the challenges they faced in being accepted by American culture. This is a great beach read or patio read book that will keep you entertained by examining the costs of war and starting a new life in a strange country. Find this book on Amazon or your local Bookstore.

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