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The English German Girl  By  cover art

The English German Girl

By: Jake Wallis Simons
Narrated by: Julie Teal
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Publisher's summary

In 1930s Berlin, choked by the tightening of Hitler's fist, the Klein family are gradually losing everything that is precious to them. Their 15-year-old daughter, Rosa, slips out of Germany on a Kindertransport train to begin a new life in England. Charged with the task of securing a safe passage for her family, she vows that she will not rest until they are safe. But as war breaks out and she loses contact with her parents, Rosa finds herself wondering if there are some vows that can't be kept....

A sweeping tale of love and loss, with the poignant story of the Kindertransport at its heart, this is an exceptional accomplishment from one of Britain's bravest and most vibrant young writers.

©2011 Jake Wallis Simons (P)2011 W F Howes Ltd

What listeners say about The English German Girl

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must read

Would you consider the audio edition of The English German Girl to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the book, but I feel like I have. Teal puts in all the voices and you get lost in the story and imagining the scenes.

What other book might you compare The English German Girl to and why?

This book is so well written it can be compared to the classics

Any additional comments?

I love the way the story weaves together and German words are sprinkled throughout. I got lost in this book and was thrilled it was long, but wished it were longer.

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9 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Loved it

This book kept me VERY ENGAGED! It took you on several journeys and really made you understand what some had to endure during WWII. The lack of trust as well as the faithful friendship of those they were close to prior to Nazi rule. I lived this book very much.

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8 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Good Book From Every Aspect

I loved every minute of this book. Julie Teel is a very tallented narrator. The last chapter gave a reall end to the story, a very realistic end. I have so much more to say about this book, but I don't want to spoil it. I highly recommend it.

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8 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A sad but rewarding tale

This is a story of those percecuted by the Nazis and the strength and will of them to survive. A historically accurate story of one Jewish German family's strong bond and strength amidst the increasing cruelty of the regime and the hope and strength of a young girl who is sent to England alone. The narration is superb and the writing detailed. The reader soon feels the peril and hope to survive. It is a personal view of the times. It is not a story of the camps. I would not hesitate to rank it as a wartime story similar to The Diary of Anne Frank.

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7 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars

one of those happy and sad books

In 1938, not too long before the outbreak of World War II, concerned people, concerned about what was happening to ethnic minorities, mainly Jews, in Europe under the Nazi regime in Germany, convinced the United Kingdom government to allow one child from familes in Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Poland to emigrate to the United Kingdom as refugees. There were a lot of people trying to get out of Europe at the time, trying to get anywhere safe. The UK government decided to allow 15,000 children into the country. By the time the war started 10,000 had arrived and that's where it sopped. The program was called 'Kindertransport' or in English 'child transport.

In this story, the author focuses on one German Jewish family from Berlin. The book starts in 1933 describing how the Nazis were already starting to limit the freedoms of the Jews and as time passed it only got worse. The main character in the story is teenager Rose Klein and her mother, father, brother and sister. As time went on they got desparate to get out of Germany and it was getting tougher and tougher. The parents found out about the Kindertransport program and chose Rose as the one who would go, now age 15.

The story progresses through the train ride out of Germany, through Holland, and on to London where she goes to live with some distant relatives she'd never met. Initially there was hope that her family could soon join her but when Germany invaded Poland the program stopped. Rose was left to make her way in a strange country learning a new language. The rest of the story tells how she survived the war, tried to find her family at the end of the war, and how she just got on with life.

While not being a thriller, the story did reach a point where it became a page turner. Enjoy

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6 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Not just another WWII/Nazi story

Not that there's anything wrong with that. A love story of a very unusual kind, intriguing to the last page.

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5 people found this helpful

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Exceptional

It is a wonderful story. Makes you feel as if you have jumped into her life.

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4 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Atmospheric, captivating, wonderful!

The English German Girl was a book I picked up on a whim, and I am glad I did!
The book begins in 1933 Berlin, with flashes forward in time, quietly showing the difficulty of living as a Jew in Germany, the trip on the Kindertransport, and life in England for Rosa.

I won't spoil it, but I did think the last chapter could have been cut out of the book entirely - the coincidence was strictly unnecessary, and made it seem like the author just needed a few extra pages. This is why I could only give the story 4 stars. Beyond that, the author and narrator were pitch-perfect, and I would recommend this book to anyone!

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Exciting, gripping, absorbing

Very descriptive, imaginative, suspenseful. Lost quite a few hours sleep as storyline sucks you in, paces you, let's you have hope then grips you not letting you go to sleep. Exhausting...

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Captivating.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It give an insight into what it might have been like for the children.

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2 people found this helpful