Written by Annette Hess
What if everything your family ever told you was a lie?
Frankfurt, 1963
At the war’s end, Frankfurt was a smoldering ruin, severely damaged by the Allied bombings. But that was two decades ago. Now it is 1963, and the city’s streets, once cratered are smooth and paved. Shiny new stores replace scorched rubble.
For twenty-four-year-old Eva Bruhn, World War II is a foggy childhood memory. Eager for her wealthy suitor, Jürgen Schoorman, to propose, Eva dreams of starting a new life away from her parents and sister. But Eva’s plans are turned upside down when an American investigator, David Miller, hires her as a translator for a war crimes trial.
As she becomes more and more involved in the Frankfurt Trials, Eva begins to question her family’s silence on the war and her future. Why do her parents refuse to talk about what happened? What are they hiding? Does she really love Jürgen and will she be happy as a housewife?
Though it means going against the wishes of her family and her lover, Eva, propelled by her own conscience, joins a team of fiery prosecutors determined to bring the Nazis to justice—a decision that will help change her country forever.
An Attention Grabbing Read! 
I’m not sure exactly what I expected from this novel, but the reality was so much better than I could ever have dreamt!
Eva Bruhn lives in West Germany with her parents, elder sister and younger brother. She has an admirer and is just waiting for him to pop the question. She dreams of a new life with Jurgen, who comes from a wealthier family than her own. Then, out of the blue, her services as a translator are required for a war crimes trial, and that turns everything Eva has ever known or hoped for on it’s head . . .
What a read! Gripping, factual and emotional this pulled me in from the very first. It’s a book on so many different levels and had me mesmerised from first to last. This author spins a fine tale; the research must have been extensive as the details are finely tuned. This is, in my experience, a unique story and provides much food for thought. I paused in my reading several times just to ponder what I had read and learned. Some very clever and skilful writing entwines stories from two different time levels and the result is a fantastic novel. A stunning read, and one which I’m very pleased to have had the chance to review. If you enjoy a beautifully created tale and an attention grabbing read, then The German House is one for you. A glowing five stars – and well worth each single one!
My thanks to publishers 4th Estate for my copy via NetGalley. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.
Tags: historical fiction
- Format: ebook, paperback, hardcover, audio
- Size: 336 pages
- Publisher: 4th Estate
- Publication Date: 12 December 2019
- Purchase Links: Google Play
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- W. H. Smith
- Waterstones
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Author Bio
Annette Hess grew up in Hanover and currently lives in Lower Saxony. She initially studied painting and interior design, and later scenic writing. She worked as a freelance journalist and assistant director, before launching a successful career as a screenwriter. Her critically-acclaimed and popular television series Weissensee, Ku’damm 56 and Ku’damm 59 are credited with revitalizing German TV. She has received numerous awards from the Grimme Prize to the Frankfurt Prize to the German Television Prize. The German House is her first novel.
Social Media
Twitter: @HessAnnette
Facebook: @annettehessautorin
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