Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman
Title: Prisoner of Night and Fog
Author: Anne Blankman
Series: Prisoner of Night and Fog #1
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: April 22, 2014
Genre: Historical Fiction; Romance; Mystery; Young Adult
Pages: 401
Format: Hardback
In 1930s Munich, danger lurks behind dark
corners, and secrets are buried deep within the city. But Gretchen Müller, who
grew up in the National Socialist Party under the wing of her "uncle"
Dolf, has been shielded from that side of society ever since her father traded
his life for Dolf's, and Gretchen is his favorite, his pet.
Uncle Dolf is none other than Adolf Hitler. And Gretchen follows his every command.
Until she meets a fearless and handsome young Jewish reporter named Daniel Cohen. Gretchen should despise Daniel, yet she can't stop herself from listening to his story: that her father, the adored Nazi martyr, was actually murdered by an unknown comrade. She also can't help the fierce attraction brewing between them, despite everything she's been taught to believe about Jews.
As Gretchen investigates the very people she's always considered friends, she must decide where her loyalties lie. Will she choose the safety of her former life as a Nazi darling, or will she dare to dig up the truth—even if it could get her and Daniel killed?
From debut author Anne Blankman comes this harrowing and evocative story about an ordinary girl faced with the extraordinary decision to give up everything she's ever believed . . . and to trust her own heart instead.
Uncle Dolf is none other than Adolf Hitler. And Gretchen follows his every command.
Until she meets a fearless and handsome young Jewish reporter named Daniel Cohen. Gretchen should despise Daniel, yet she can't stop herself from listening to his story: that her father, the adored Nazi martyr, was actually murdered by an unknown comrade. She also can't help the fierce attraction brewing between them, despite everything she's been taught to believe about Jews.
As Gretchen investigates the very people she's always considered friends, she must decide where her loyalties lie. Will she choose the safety of her former life as a Nazi darling, or will she dare to dig up the truth—even if it could get her and Daniel killed?
From debut author Anne Blankman comes this harrowing and evocative story about an ordinary girl faced with the extraordinary decision to give up everything she's ever believed . . . and to trust her own heart instead.
You read so many books about World War II, but you almost never read about Nazi Germany from a Nazi’s point of view. I’ve read my fair share of WWII-based books (it’s one of my favorite subjects to read about), but I have never read one like Prisoner of Night and Fog.
Gretchen Müller is the beloved princess of the National Socialist Party, favored by Adolf Hitler himself. Daughter of the famed martyr that saved Hitler’s life, Gretchen has little to question in her life. But when she meets Daniel Cohen, a Jew so unlike the enemy he is made out to be, she is forced into second guessing everything she’s ever been taught. About the Jews, about Hitler, even about her father’s death. This epic tale teaches us the difficulties of finding what’s right and wrong for yourself, and breaking free of an oppression you didn’t even know you were trapped under.
What made this book so great was not the plot (a bit predictable), the characters (who occasionally fell flat), or the setting (amazingly realistic). It was the fact that half of what Blankman was writing actually happened. According to the lengthy author’s note at the end, about half the characters actually existing and a lot of the pivotal events are ones that you could find in a history textbook. The politics of the Germany in that time were nothing if not complicated. This book untangled the mess of questions I’ve always had about WWII and Germany before Hitler’s reign.
It surprised me that Hitler’s character was as big as it was. He had a personality and dialogue in this book, which is so unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Usually he is minor character, mentioned briefly in passing for the effect of the setting or plot. He is almost never a flesh-and-blood (metaphorically speaking) character like he was in this book. Understandably, Hitler is one of the most mysterious historical figures of all time. Almost nothing is known of his past or who he was before becoming a German politician and eventually one of the most hated tyrants this world has ever seen. It’s honestly incredible how Blankman managed to capture such an ambiguous character.
While you get to know Hitler on an intriguing level, you also learn so much about the Nazi party, not just as a political faction that persecuted innocent people, but also as individuals who honestly believed what they were doing was right. You also discover people who brave enough to stand against the person who would ruin thousands of lives, who was, even then, terrifying and powerful.
It still astounds me that a person who was that obvious of a psychopath came into so much power. This book explores that subject and expands on your knowledge of what really happened during that time. Phenomenally interesting and hard to put down, definitely worth reading and reflecting over.
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