City of Women

By: David R. Gillham

Narrated by: Suzanne Bertish

Length: 13 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

It is 1943 - the height of the Second World War. With the men taken by the army, Berlin has become a city of women. And while her husband fights on the Eastern Front, Sigrid Schröder is, for all intents and purposes, the model soldier's wife: She goes to work every day, does as much with her rations as she can, and dutifully cares for her meddling mother-in-law, all the while ignoring the horrific immoralities of the regime.

But behind this façade is an entirely different Sigrid, a woman who dreams of her former Jewish lover, who is now lost in the chaos of the war.

Sigrid's tedious existence is turned upside down when she finds herself hiding a mother and her two young daughters - whom she believes might be her lover's family - and she must make terrifying choices that could cost her everything.

©2012 David R. Gillham (P)2012 Penguin Audio

Thought provoking, can relate to the women.

Would you consider the audio edition of City of Women to be better than the print version?

Have not read the print version.

What did you like best about this story?

The way that women fought to survive no matter of their belief, race or religion.

What about Suzanne Bertish’s performance did you like?

Yes, She was able to feel how the women felt in the story.

If you could rename City of Women, what would you call it?

Survival of Women in Berlin

Any additional comments?

Very thought provoking. Helped me to relate to my family in Holland during WWII.

WONDERFUL Narration.

I believe a good book can become a great book simply with the right story teller. Thus is the case here. The story was very good although done before but the narration was the best I have heard in a while. I recommend City of Women for both.

Grim but worth it

If you want to listen to a book that's full of passion and despair, then this will fit the bill. The most interesting aspect is the main character's evolution from a naiive, lonely housewife into a hardened and courageous woman with a strong sense of morality as well as irony. The narrator is perfect, but her evocation of dismal daily life in wartime Berlin made me want to turn to something more lighthearted and escapist for my next selection.

Wonderful - Awful!!

I loved this book - I hated this book. My fingernails are bitten to the quick. And I've turned blue from holding my breath. Maybe you have to be of my generation (I was born in 1938) to really be affected by this story. I remember the newsreels and the newspapers during the second world war. This story of a non-Jew who helped Jews escape Nazi Germany seemed to me to be so real. Her miraculous escapes from the Gestapo sometimes seemed a little too miraculous - but I wouldn't have it any other way. And Bertish's narration was right on - not too dramatic - just right. The accent (I'm no expert) seemed to me to be perfect and helped me visualize the characters - the characters who were so true to life. One of my favorite characters was the mother-in-law. I felt total pity for her and would have pushed her out the window long ago. This book should be required reading for all those who can't look around and realize that such things are still going on in the world and couldn't possibly happen here.

Wonderful story good listen

What did you love best about City of Women?

The story and the main character

What other book might you compare City of Women to and why?

The Red Tent as it was about women helping women even in the worst possible circumstances.

What does Suzanne Bertish bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Life

One of the best books I've encountered in years.

Beautifully written and fantastically performed. Strange to feel so sad that it's ended, considering the tragic subject matter.

A great listen

The reader was wonderful the storyline was intriguing I never wanted to stop listening it has a very sexy love story along with the tragic back ground of World War II I really really enjoyed it

Very well written story

If you could sum up City of Women in three words, what would they be?

Powerful, intense, interesting

What did you like best about this story?

The descriptive writing

Have you listened to any of Suzanne Bertish’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The entire book moved me, the writing was beautiful and the depth with which the author portrayed the protagonist made the story fascinating

Stunning realism in tale of wartime Berlin

Any additional comments?

David Gillham's moving and true words, in the hands of Suzanne Bertish's uncanny voicing of these flawed and damaged characters, left me in a continual state of anticipation, wonder, and concern for the characters. One cannot help being amazed at the depth of research necessary to convey the sense of realism that had me peering over my shoulder for signs of trouble from time to time in "the German glance."
Like all good fiction, Gillham's story never betrays the reader's sense of trust in the trueness of the story and characterizations in a moving portrayal of how ordinary people react bravely or cowardly in the face of government evil. I found City of Women a completely surprising and thrilling performance. Bravo!

Passionate, suspenseful listen

If you could sum up City of Women in three words, what would they be?

War from another perspective and relationships from the inside out- great insight on both.

What did you like best about this story?

The twists and turns of plot, the picture of world war II from the women's perspective and the German perspective, the complex characters

Which character – as performed by Suzanne Bertish – was your favorite?

Egon, the jewish lover