Elsa Kalbach is a young woman who has grown up in the 1930s in Germany. She remembers what life was like in the barren years that followed the end of WWI. As a teacher, she follows the rules, even the ones that related to allegiance to the Fuhrer. However, slowly, she begins to realise that maybe it is wrong to just follow him blindly and this is reinforced when she witnesses the events of Kristallnicht in her home town of Gollnow in the Pomerania region.
Sam is a British soldier who is injured during the Dunkirk evacuation, and he is captured and becomes a POW.
Fast forward several years, and the war appears to be coming to an end. For Elsa, her home is right in the path of the Russian invasion into Germany and everyone is terrified about what they will do as they pass through, especially to women. Her family decides to leave, but her elderly grandfather doesn't want to go. Elsa stays behind until the last possible moment to leave but unfortunately he doesn't last long, and she is left to travel along with a young girl named Klara in her care.
At the same time Sam is being marched across the country from one camp to another. He feels guilty for having been a POW for so long and for having survived when so many of his fellow prisoners have not, including some of his friends.
Fate brings Sam and Elsa together. Initially they do not trust each other at all. After all, they are on opposite sides of the war and they see the actions of both sides very differently. However, it makes sense for them to travel together and so they begin to walk. Sam is hoping that he is walking towards home, and Elsa is walking towards the city of Bremen, where she hopes to be reunited with her mother and sister.
Of course, after that initial distrust, their feelings for each other begins to change and to grow. But what hope can there be for a German woman and a British man in this world torn apart by war. Elsa, Sam and Klara have to endure a lot during their journey, most of which is on foot. But reaching their destinations may not be the end of their trials.
There are a couple of big jumps in time in this story, which was a bit disconcerting. While I did like the book overall, I did find the story and dialogue a bit stilted at times. I guess the real gauge is was I emotionally moved, and the answer is yes, particularly as we moved forward into the 1950s.
When I read the author note it mentions that one of the questions Victoria Cornwall was trying to answer was how did the ordinary people of Germany remain bystanders as a dictator came to power, and his control continued to grow until he become one of the biggest villains in history. And it is a question that is relevant even today. How do leaders get people to follow them blindly? For me, one of the most powerful moments in the book is when Elsa is farewelling a woman who says "Heil Hitler" and Elsa realises that she can't do that anymore.
It is always nice to discover a new author, and I have already bought one of her other books! I would classify this book as a solid read. It is worth checking out, if only for the relatively unusual situation of a German female main character.
I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Blog and the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host here. Thanks to the publisher and Zooloo's Book Tours for the review copy. Be sure to check out other stops on the blog tour below.
Rating 4/5
About the Book
A love that dares to hope when everything seems lost.
Germany, 1945. Elsa Kalbach was once the perfect daughter — loyal, obedient and proud to serve her country. But years of lies and fear have opened her eyes to the terrible cost of blind obedience.
As the Russian Army advances, Elsa flees her ruined hometown with an abandoned Jewish child in her care — and no one left to trust.
When she discovers a wounded British soldier hiding in a barn, she knows she should turn him in. His uniform makes him her enemy.
Instead, Sam becomes the only one she can trust as they seek safety away from the frontlines.
As Elsa and Sam travel across a land torn apart by war, a fragile bond begins to grow — one that defies everything Elsa was taught to believe.
And when the guns finally begin to fall silent, Elsa and Sam must decide whether their love can survive the wreckage of all they’ve lost.
This sweeping story of hope, humanity and the forbidden love that defied a world at war is perfect for fans of Soraya M. Lane, Kate Quinn, Rachel Hore and Kristin Hannah.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/245501352-the-wartime-affair
Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/wartimeaffair-zbt
About the Author:
Following a career in nursing, a change in profession finally provided Victoria Cornwall the time to write. Her books have subsequently reached the finals of the NEW TALENT AWARD at the Festival of Romantic Fiction, the RNA's JOAN HESSAYON AWARD, the 2021 RNA's Goldsboro Books HISTORICAL ROMANTIC NOVEL AWARD and have twice been nominated for the RONE Best Indie or Small Published Book Award by InD'tale magazine.
Victoria grew up on a farm in Cornwall and can trace her Cornish roots as far back as the 18th century. It is this background and heritage which is the inspiration for her Cornish based novels. She is married, has two grown up children and likes to read and write historical romance with a strong background story, but at its heart is the unmistakable emotion, even pain, of loving someone
Social Media Links
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/victoria_cornwallx/
Thank you so much for being a part of this adventure x ❤️💙
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