December 1943. In the years before the rise of Hitler, the Gerber family's summer cottage was filled with laughter. Now, as deep drifts of snow blanket the Black Forest, German dissenter Franka Gerber is alone and hopeless. Fervour and brutality have swept through her homeland, taking away both her father and her brother and leaving her with no reason to live.
That is, until she discovers an unconscious airman lying in the snow wearing a Luftwaffe uniform, his parachute flapping in the wind. Unwilling to let him die, Franka takes him to her family's isolated cabin despite her hatred for the regime he represents. But when it turns out that he is not who he seems, Franka begins a race against time to unravel the mystery of the airman's true identity. Their tenuous bond becomes as inseparable as it is dangerous. Hunted by the Gestapo, can they trust each other enough to join forces on a mission that could change the face of the war and their own lives forever?
[This seemed a fitting place to die](Lake Union Publishing, 1 March 2018, ebook, 266 pages, Kindle First)
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White Rose, Black Forest is a historical thriller. It's bit different from books I've read before.
I was hooked on this book from the opening moments, when the main character Franka Gerber is plunged into a dilemma which changes the course of her life forever. I knew I was going to enjoy the book based on this cracking opening.
I like the way the plot develops in this book, turning up the heat from the opening scene, pulling you along as Franka takes action that could have dire consequences. The book is set during Germany in 1944 during Nazi occupation. This is a period of history I know very little about. I loved being inside Franka's head. I'm sure her feelings about the unwelcome changes to her country echo many people during this time.
Franka is a great character. I loved being inside her head. She struggles to maintain grace, dignity and remain calm and her world and her country crumble around her. Her choices to help the airman could bring her into conflict with the Gestapo. She feels conflict because she's dissenter and has already been punished the Gestapo. I loved her determination to do the right thing.
White Rose, Black Forest is well-written and engaging. I was chilled by the parallels between Germany under Nazi occupation and today's political climate.
