A Motherland's Daughter, a Fatherland's Son

A WWII Novel

By: Ellie Midwood

Narrated by: Kylie Stewart, Eric Rolon

Poland, 1939. A country torn by the occupation of two unlikely allies - Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.

On the border of this newly divided territory, a young Wehrmacht Unteroffizier, Werner, and a Soviet military interpreter, Kira, meet and fall in love against all odds. Both forced into the military against their will, they wish for one thing only - a peaceful life together.

Everything is set for Kira to defect and marry Werner...but the German army invades the Soviet Union, and now the two lovers are forced to fight against each other on the opposite sides of the frontline, trying to keep their humanity as more and more atrocities are committed by both armies.

They have to decide if their love is stronger than the devastation surrounding them or succumb to the hate as sworn enemies should.

Partially based on true events, this novel will take you on the unforgettable journey through war-torn countries, where hope can be lost in no-man’s-land and one will have to go to great lengths not to lose sight of it.

©2018 Ellie Midwood (P)2018 Ellie Midwood

You'll feel drawn in

My knowledge of history is fairly good, but not so great that I can know offhand how accurate this is. That said, the entire story rang true and it pulled you in.

Some of the heavy lifting was done by the dueling narrators, both of whom were outstanding. I had a clear favorite by the end, but both were great. Their dialogue flowed well and they were able to seamlessly transition from character to character, and gave the proper pronounciation to words of the region.

A moving and powerful story

Historical (and namely WW2) fiction is my favorite genre and I’m so glad I came across this audiobook! Few books show the war from the Soviet/German side, and that’s what fascinated me in the first place - the original concept and point of view that it offered. When I realized that the story is told from alternating perspectives (Kira’s and Werner’s) I started enjoying it even more as it helped me related to both and understand the motives of each.
The conflict itself is described with marvelous precision and truly brings history to life through an unimaginable amount of research that must have gone into it. Two opposing ideologies, two armies fighting with the ferociousness of wild beasts, and two young people who find themselves as enemies despite their deep, unwavering love for each other. I could only hope for the good outcome and was dreading the end if I’m completely honest.
A truly powerful, beautifully written and meticulously researched story. Both narrators did a great job. I’ll be recommending this to my fellow history lovers.

A story that needed to be told

This is the most beautifully written anti-war novel I have recently come across. Make no mistake, the war is there, in every chapter, devastating, raw, and painfully real, but it opposes something much stronger than death itself, which surrounds our two heroes - love. It's not a love story and it is. It reminded me of Remarque and his writing a lot. It's also a reminder of how each of us can turn into an animal under the right circumstances. Both main characters are extremely strong people and I must admit, my admiration for Kira, a female sniper on the frontline, grew with every passing chapter. What is also important about this novel is that it's presented through the eyes of two ordinary people, a young German man and a Soviet girl, who didn't want to have anything to do with war yet found themselves on the opposing sides of the frontline. The amount of research that went into this novel is astonishing. Russian and German expressions dotted throughout the narration only added authenticity to an already splendid story. Also, I loved that there were two narrators and not one. Most enjoyable audiobook!

Gripping

This was a fascinating story. It captivated me from start to finish. Ms. Midwood's writing made it such that I felt Kira and Werner's emotions throughout the story. The narrators did a fantastic job. If I could give this 10 stars, I would.

Epic read

Wonderful story of the heartbreak, courage, and love of WWII. Two nineteen year olds, on opposite sides, are pulled into the nightmare of war. Can their love survive ? You don’t want to miss this book !!