Gripping Historical Fiction: Read our Review of The Berlin Girl by Mandy Robotham

The heart-wrenching new WWII story from the bestselling author of The German Midwife.

Berlin, 1938: It’s the height of summer, and Germany is on the brink of war. When fledgling reporter Georgie Young is posted to Berlin, alongside fellow Londoner Max Spender, she knows they are entering the eye of the storm.

Arriving to a city swathed in red flags and crawling with Nazis, Georgie feels helpless, witnessing innocent people being torn from their homes. As tensions rise, she realises she and Max have to act – even if it means putting their lives on the line.

But when she digs deeper, Georgie begins to uncover the unspeakable truth about Hitler’s Germany – and the pair are pulled into a world darker than she could ever have imagined…

Bestselling author Mandy Robotham’s debut novel, The German Midwife, was a big hit in the Better Reading office earlier this year, and I’ve been eagerly awaiting her new novel, The Berlin Girl, ever since. I was not disappointed. The Berlin Girl is a heart-wrenching story of a country on the brink of war, a woman who puts herself in the line of fire, and a world about to be changed forever. It’s a fast-paced and absorbing read, perfect for fans of Kate Quinn and Pam Jenoff.

One of the things I admire most about Robotham’s novels is that she adheres to the old writer’s adage: Write what you know. In The German Midwife, Robotham drew on her experience as a practicing midwife to create an authentic and emotionally charged story. Here, Robotham draws on her journalism experience to examine the role of the press – particularly female journalists – in the leadup to WWII, and convincingly bring the story of political correspondent Georgie Young to life.

There’s been a massive resurgence in WWII historical fiction lately, and Robotham is no stranger to this sub-genre, having now written three novels set within this period. It’s a testament to Robotham that her works are able to stand out amongst all the rest, and I think it’s due to her use of unique subject-matter and strong, gutsy female leads. This is certainly evident when following Georgie Young, a courageous and compelling protagonist, who is determined to prove herself as a first-rate journalist to her male peers.

Meticulously researched, suspenseful and impossible to put down, The Berlin Girl is a riveting page-turner, and Mandy Robotham is definitely an author to keep an eye on. And don’t worry if you tear through The Berlin Girl too quickly, you can always check out Robotham’s previous novels, The German Midwife and The Secret Messenger.

Synopsis

From the bestselling author of The German Midwife comes the heart-wrenching story of a country on the brink of war, a woman who puts herself in the line of fire, and a world about to be forever changed. Berlin, 1938: It's the height of summer, and Germany is on the brink of war. When fledgling reporter Georgie Young is posted to Berlin, alongside fellow Londoner Max Spender, she knows they are entering the eye of the storm. Arriving to a city swathed in red flags and crawling with Nazis, Georgie feels helpless, witnessing innocent people being torn from their homes. As tensions rise, she realises she and Max have to act – even if it means putting their lives on the line. But when she digs deeper, Georgie begins to uncover the unspeakable truth about Hitler's Germany – and the pair are pulled into a world darker than she could ever have imagined…

Mandy Robotham

Mandy Robotham has been an aspiring author since the age of nine, but was waylaid by journalism and later enticed by birth. She's now a practising midwife who writes about birth, death, love and everything else in between. She graduated with an MA in Creative Writing from Oxford Brookes University. This is her first novel.

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