This December, I'm taking part in the 12 days of Clink Street Christmas, a blog tour showcasing the best of Clink Street Publishing's books! So I'm here to review Fifteen Words by Monika Jephcott- Thomas, a harrowing historical fiction novel.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Published: November 22, 2016 by: Clink Street Publishing
Rating: 4/5 stars
In WW2 Germany, Catholic Max is a war doctor, helping the wounded all while concealing his true opinions on Hitler. On the other hand, his wife Erika, a agnostic product of the Hitler youth is all the way in Siberia in a POW camp. Despite their vast differences, the two are in love, and the distance is killing Max as his only contact with his wife is through letters, in fifteen words or less. As Erika struggles with being pregnant in the camp, Max is trying to keep in contact with her and toy with his personal morals, and his country's.
This was a really interesting book! I have read many WW2 novels, but never from a German perspective. I think it's very important for books like these to be sensitive to the victims of the war, especially Jews, and this book did just that. It gave a good look on a German man against Hitler's regime, as well as his wife who is sadly a product of her environment.
I loved Max. I thought he was a well-rounded character with a heart of gold who truly cared. He had such compassion and was also very knowledgeable, and I enjoyed reading about him a lot. I also loved the fact that he was a doctor, as I love medical stuff and seeing him in action was great.
I didn't love Erika though. She did kinda put a damper on the book for me because I couldn't help but hate her views on Hitler, despite her having no choice, and I thought Max deserved a lot better than her. They just seemed like a weird couple to me, I didn't really get their chemistry.
I thought this was a very easy book to read. I was scared it would be too heavy, as a lot of historical fiction books are, but it was very easy to read and I got through it quickly. I would definitely recommend!!
That's it for me! Be sure to check out the other 12 Day's blog posts this month.
Emily @ Paperback Princess
Light historical fiction books are very rare, imo. I'm glad this one wasn't a tough read. I'm still not sure if I'll ever pick this up, but I'm glad you liked it despite the not very likable female lead!
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree! I was really happy that this one didn’t bore me too much.
DeleteI think you kind of have to hate pro-Hitler views, so don't beat yourself up about it! It's only natural, and just proves that you rock! ;)
ReplyDeleteHaha, you’re definitely right on that one!
DeleteI love, love, love WWII books. This sounds really interesting too, with a different perspective than what I usually read. Great review!
ReplyDeleteRebecca @ The Portsmouth Review
I definitely thought that it added a really different perspective!
DeleteThis sounds really good. And I like that you say it's not too heavy. Sorry about Erika though :( Although as Cee says, it's not wrong to feel what you do! Haha.
ReplyDeleteGreat review, Emily :) And really sorry I haven't been to your blog in ages!
Amy @ A Magical World Of Words
Oh don’t worry about it, Amy! I always love when you stop by but you are not obligated :) It was a very unique book :)
DeleteAs a self professed history lover, a good historical fiction is always on my watchlist! Will have to mark this down as a to-read! I've recently been doing a lot of school work on WW2 historical fiction, and one of the things I've really centred on is the line between being a perpetrator and a bystander, and whether we can collectively exculpate or should blame an entire generation for not standing up against Hitler. It's such a difficult subject, so it's nice to hear the book dealt with such contentious issues with care.
ReplyDeleteI also loveeeeee a showcasing of one's personal objections against the backdrop of a mass political movement, and this book sounds great for that if Max is privately anti-Hitler!
Thanks for the review :)
Thanks for stopping by, TT! I definitely agree, WW2 was a fascinating era for a number of psychological, sociological and of course political eras. I always love books that have main characters rebelling against the massive backdrop!
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