Jürgen is one of hundreds of Nazi scientists offered pardons and taken to the US for the fledgling space program.

It was Berlin in 1934 and Sofie and her husband, Jurgen Rhodes, were shocked at the direction the war was going. Lizzie loves farming and it is her goal to stay on the family farm and help her father, and to eventually inherit the farm.

This book also allows the reader to see both sides of the war, from the effect it had Sofie and also Lizzie, from the Jewish or German point of view. It is interesting hearing about Sofie's time in Germany during World War Two; that was by far the most compelling timeframe presented. I found The German Wife to be absolutely phenomenal and cementing Kelly as one of Australia’s finest authors. Berlin, Germany, 1930—When the Nazis rise to power, Jürgen Rhodes is offered a high-level position in their burgeoning rocket program.

Although Lizzie is given her own background chapters and point-of-view, the book is much more Sofie’s (hence the title). Historical fiction is my most favourite genre but I had taken a break from it over the last year as I found a lot was becoming repetitive and similar. What was it like to have your children inoculated into Hitler's propaganda watching them spew hate while neighborhood watch dogs would report you if they felt that you were not being supportive.

Hard to put down, loved the story, if you like books based on true events in the time of war you will enjoy this book. There’s a mixed welcome: her husband is ecstatic about their arrival, but she notices that not all the German wives are friendly, and wonders what they know about Jurgen’s role during the war. Sofie is the aristocratic wife of scientist Jürgen who is recruited for a Hitler's new rocket project. Her final comments in her Author Notes provide testimony to both the fascination and frustration regarding the whole situation.

Kelly Rimmer really is a master, and she held my emotions in the palm of her hand right up till the very last page…And yes, tears were shed. The American wives were just as vicious if not more so with their remarks and they wanted nothing to do with the newly arrived German wives but Sofie even more so. Through her eyes, we see what it was like during the Great Depression in rural Texas and we also learn more about how Lizzie ended up in Huntsville Alabama in 1950.

While these two women led fascinating lives, and it was interesting to see how their pasts influenced them, it felt like there was no purpose or direction to the book. When a book allows the reader to not assume but assess, to consider then conclude which side you would uphold and support, that is mastery. Operation Paperclip was a secret United States intelligence program in which more than 1,600 Nazi German scientists, engineers, and technicians were taken from former Nazi Germany to the U. Jurgen's Aunt Adele lived in the same apartment complex and adored the children, doing all she could to help Mayim.