The German Wife

A Novel

By: Kelly Rimmer

Narrated by: Nancy Peterson, Ann Marie Gideon

“Skillfully researched and powerfully written, The German Wife will capture you from the first page.” —Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London

For fans of All the Light We Cannot See and The Tattooist of Auschwitz—from the New York Times bestselling author of The Things We Cannot Say and The Warsaw Orphan returns with a gripping novel inspired by the true story of Operation Paperclip: a controversial secret US intelligence program that employed former Nazis after WWII.

Berlin, 1930—When a wave of change sweeps a radical political party to power, Sofie von Meyer Rhodes’s academic husband benefits from the ambitions of its newly elected chancellor. Although Sofie and Jürgen do not share the social views growing popular in Hitler’s Germany, Jürgen’s position with its burgeoning rocket program changes their diminishing fortunes for the better. But as Sofie watches helplessly, her beloved Berlin begins to transform, forcing her to consider what they must sacrifice morally for their young family’s security, and what the price for their neutrality will be.

Twenty years later, Jürgen is one of the many German scientists offered pardons for their part in the war, and taken to America to work for its fledgling space program. For Sofie, this is the chance to exorcise the ghosts that have followed her across the ocean, and make a fresh start in her adopted country. But her neighbors aren’t as welcoming or as understanding as she had hoped. When scandalous rumors about the Rhodes family’s affiliation with Hitler’s regime spreads, idle gossip turns to bitter rage, and the act of violence that results will tear apart Sofie’s community and her family before the truth is finally revealed.

“An unforgettable novel that explores important questions highly relevant to the world today.” —Christine Wells, author of Sisters of the Resistance

Don’t miss Kelly Rimmer’s newest novel, The Paris Agent, where a family’s innocent search for answers brings a long-forgotten, twenty-five-year-old mystery featuring two female SOE operatives comes to light!

For more by Kelly Rimmer, look for:

• Before I Let You Go
• The Things We Cannot Say
• Truths I Never Told You
• The Warsaw Orphan
• The Midnight Estate

©2022 Kelly Rimmer (P)2022 Harlequin Enterprises, Limited

Thought provoking story

Learned so much about this controversial event in history. The novel really makes you think what you would do if placed in a difficult situation where you have to chose between following orders to save yourself or standing up for your convictions.

Well told emotional story

Great story with relevance to what is going on in our world today. I really enjoyed the different perspectives of the characters. Well done.

Excellent book!!

The combination of this author with her incredible incite in to this time in history, and the amazing performances by both artists makes for a very thought provoking read. It is well worth the time but you may need some Kleenex. Their struggle is heart wrenching and all too real. It demonstrates the fact that there are often two sides to every struggle.

All the Emotions Here

Excellent historical background. Two stories. Two women, one American, one German, each with their own trauma, heartbreak and resilience. From the despair of the Dustbowl inTexas to the rise of Hitler and the Nazis in Germany to postwar Alabama, there is drama and suspense, and for myself, fear, pity, tears and relief.

So many emotions!

This was a wonderful book. I’m sure I will listen to it again in time. Thank you.

So interesting, captivating

Following the stories of these families through time, going back and forth, and from one to the other was mesmerizing. We visited Berlin, the camps, and this made it all come alive…

A big five stars.

Amazing and Heartbreaking

I love Kelly Rimmer Novels. Historical Fiction Is Both Educational And Entertaining. If We Erase History Then We Are Sure To Repeat It.

Don’t be persuaded by the negative reviews

The other reviews I read for this book talked about how they didn’t like having two story lines in the book and the connection to today’s politics.

I listened with this lens but I don’t agree. The two story lines blend well, and give a dynamic perspective. I loved that the characters were messy and it was so much more relatable and realistic.

I also didn’t hear anything overly political regarding today. That’s just how WW2 and Nazi Germany was. Those were the politics they faced. I think if someone is uncomfortable hearing that because they see it reflected today, it’s probably something they should reflect on and sit with.

I loved this story, I couldn’t stop listening to it. Highly recommend

Great WWII book!

This is a great story. I love the books that help you understand the power of the German political influence and the impact on their citizens.

Loved This Book

I loved the juxtaposition of Sophie’s and Lizzie’s story. Such interesting backgrounds that impacted their relationship with each other. It was also interesting to view the war from the perspective of non-Jews and how it impacted them.