Motherland

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Motherland is inspired by stories from the author s father and his German childhood, and letters between her grandparents that were hidden in an attic wall for fifty years It is the author s attempt to reckon with the paradox of her father a product of her grandparents fiercely protective love and their status as Mitl ufer, Germans who went along with Nazism, first reaping its benefits and later its consequences.This page turning novel focuses on the Kappus family Frank is a reconstructive surgeon who lost his beloved wife in childbirth and two months later married a young woman who must look after the baby and his two grieving sons when he is drafted into medical military service Alone in the house, Liesl must attempt to keep the children fed with dwindling food supplies, safe from the constant Allied air attacks, and protected against the swell of desperate refugees flooding their town When one child begins to mentally unravel, Liesl must discover the source of the boy s infirmity or lose him forever to Hadamar, the infamous hospital for unfit children The novel bears witness to the shame and courage of Third Reich families during the devastating last days of the war, as each family member s fateful choices lead them deeper into questions of complicity and innocence, to the novel s heartbreaking and unforgettable conclusion. New Read [ Motherland ] Author [ Maria Hummel ] – kino-fada.fr This is a stunningly important book, highly recommended for anyone who is willing to consider the infinite complexities of World War II As a daughter of a survivor of Buchenwald, I was expecting to feel disturbed...Set in Germany in the winter of 1944 1945, Motherland is a well written and profoundly sad story inspired by the author s father and grandparents.I read a lot of non fiction and historical fiction about Europe in the 1930 s and 1940 s as I am fascinated by what happened and why it happened I am interested the stories of German citizens during this time period It is easy to judge them in hindsight, but I am curious about their thoughts, actions and reactions as the Nazis rise to and take power Set in Germany in the winter of 1944 1945, Motherland is a well written and profoundly sad story inspired by the author s father and grandparents.I read a lot of non fiction and historical fiction about Europe in the 1930 s and 1940 s as I am fascinated by what happened and why it happened I am interested the stories of German citizens during this time period It is easy to judge them in hindsight, but I am curious about their thoughts, actions and reactions as the Nazis rise to and take power I appreciate the author s efforts to elimina...This compelling and very moving book focuses on the Kappus family Frank is a reconstructive surgeon called away on military duty, leaving his young second wife Liesl at home with his 3 small children from his first marriage Almost overwhelmed at times by the struggle to survive in wartime with its shortages, the constant air raids and being forced to share her house with some less than congenial refugees, Liesl does what it takes to keep her family together and safe Her biggest challenge is t This compelling and very moving book focuses on the Kappus family Frank is a reconstructive surgeon called away on military duty, leaving his young second wife Liesl at home with his 3 small children from his first marriage Almost overwhelmed at times by the struggle to survive in wartime with its shortage...I find it often happens that I read 2 or 3 books in a row that are similar in some way I read a lot so it might just be coincidence, but I wonder if there s something I m subconsciously trying to learnabout when that happens Anyway, I ve just read 2 books in a row about the effect of war on families, Wake, and now Motherland Both books focus primarily on war s impact on women and thus unsurprisingly deliver an anti war message The titles of b...3.5 stars An interesting historical fiction work of WWII Maria Hummel manages to write a novel of which is compassionate towards the German people during Nazi Germany s reign Influenced by letters her Grandmother wrote to her Grandfather in 1945, Hummel creatively writes of a fictional family and their struggles towards the end of WWII War is hell, and no one wins during a war Hummel manages to humanize the regular folk during a hideous time in their lives While it s easy for all of us t 3.5 stars An interest...It easier to understand the world if one thinks in black and white Shades of gray arechallenging Inspired by the true story of her paternal grandparents, author Maria Hummel tells the story of one German family trying stay alive and intact during the final days of Hitler s Nazi regime Hummel s author notes share that what began with a question of complicity turned into a story of family She faced the challenge of writing a Holocaust story without Jews During war people struggle That It eas...The premise of this piece of WWII historical fiction inspired me to read this book The author s grandfather was a reconstructive surgeon in Germany who lost his wife in childbirth and remarried a young woman soon thereafter When he was drafted into military service he had to leave his three young sons with his new wife Letters passed back and forth These letters were secreted in an attic wall for fifty years before they were found and returned to the family Author Maria Hummel is the grandd The premise of this piece of WWII historical fiction inspired me to read this book The author s grandfather was a reconstructive surgeon in Germany who lost his wife in childbirth and remarried a young woman soon thereafter When he was drafted into military service he had to leave his three young sons with his new wife Letters p...This was an excellent story about an ordinary German family aka non political living under Nazi rule, subject matter that fascinates me It was based upon the stories and letters of the author s father and paternal grandparents It is not only extremely readable and entertaining, but it is very well written, authentic and factual It was hard to put down.I am speculating that the book title is Motherland because of the fact that the women basically ran the households and everything else This was an excellent story about an ordinary German family aka non political living under Nazi rul...I just finished Motherland and can t stop thinking about it What an emotional, haunting, brillent novel I am haunted by the family that the novel followed and my thoughts linger on what happened to them after the novel ends.When you start Motherland give it a few chapters and you will soon be...I loved this book Even though it is about Germany during WWII, it is not about concentration camps but rather a German woman just trying to keep her family safe during the end of the war Any mother could put herself in her shoes and appreciate the ...

Motherland
  • English
  • 03 December 2017
  • Hardcover
  • 375 pages
  • 1619022370
  • Maria Hummel
  • Motherland