I enjoy reading Historical fiction, especially World War II fiction, but I'm not a fan of Young Adult, New adult or Romance, which is what I would describe this novel as. I did enjoy reading the parts of the book that described what was going on in Germany at that time, but for me they were too few. There was far too much focus on the relationships between the main characters, none of whom I really cared about.. I think a much younger reader would probably appreciate it more.

Thank you Tania Blanchard and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I personally think this book rates high amongst others of this genre. I have quite a few Australian female authors that I almost stalk for their latest novel of this ilk and Tania just joined them. I like an author that captivated me so much that a whole day goes by and all I have done is engross myself in the world that they have created. I certainly did that with this novel. I cannot wait to read what comes next from this debut author if she writes like this first off.
I highly recommend this you put this author on your radar...

I have read very few novels that approach WWII from the perspective of the everyday non-Jewish German people, and those aspects of the novel were interesting. Given the content came from stories the author's grandmother told her, I am assuming these are accurate. However, the characters are two-dimensional and stereotypical, and the 'story' more a series of events (too many) described by the protagonist, Lotte. This is rather a good example of a novel that tells too much and shows very little. The beginning chapters were promising with respect to character development as conventionally-brought-up Lotte, already at 17 engaged to a wealthy blonde German, showed some internal tension as she struggled with her attraction to her enigmatic boss, but then it all rather went downhill. Not once did I feel empathy for any of the characters, and not once did I feel the sting of a tear. And this in a story of the most horrific events where the characters had to cope with what should have been heart-rending situations. However, this is a debut novel from a writer who clearly has some interesting content to draw on, and I note she is writing a followup set in Australia, following the emigration from Germany of her characters there after the war. I can only hope she finds a very good editor to help her develop her craft, and does not fall into the trap of wanting to publish as quickly as possible. My 3 stars is for potential and because I did learn something about the German side of the horrors of Nazi Germany. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review a preview copy of this novel, and all good wishes to the author for her future novels which I am sure will be better developed.

‘Times have changed, Mutti.’

In 1943, Charlotte (Lotte) von Klein is a young woman with grand plans. A proud German, she wants to support the Fatherland as best she can. She and her family are planning for her wedding to her childhood sweetheart Heinrich, but in the meantime Lotte wants to support Hitler’s war effort. Although Lotte’s mother would prefer her not to work, Lotte’s father arranges for her to work for the Luftwaffe. This sets Lotte on a path that will change her life.

Lotte is a young woman who has lived a life of privilege. The war changes this. Her family home becomes accommodation for other families whose homes have been destroyed, and her fiancé Heinrich is caught up in the war. Lotte finds her Luftwaffe supervisor, Erich Drescher, attractive and is unsettled by her feelings for him. They are thrown together as they flee in search of safety as Germany falls to the Allies forces.

This is another side of World War II, of people who believed (at least initially) in their country’s leadership, who ended up on the losing side of the war. It’s also a love story with more than a few twists. It’s difficult to write more detail about the story without spoiling it for intending readers.

This is Ms Blanchard’s debut novel. While there were aspects I didn’t like, overall, I enjoyed the read. The way in which Ms Blanchard bought this aspect of Germany at war to life, depicting ‘normal’ (albeit privileged) people as they came to terms with the consequences of being on the losing side in war. I also thought that the way in which Ms Blanchard depicted the anxieties of individuals, through the uncertainty of losing contact, of not knowing whether some family members were alive or dead rang true. And then, when the war is over, there’s the struggle to find a new way of life in a world that has changed in so many different ways.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster (Australia) for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Having been brought up in London during the Second World War I found this book absolutely fascinating. Here I was reading the about war from the other side. Civilians who were living through many of the problems we faced.
We are introduced to Charlotte/Lotte a young girl from a high class family, used to the privileges such a family bestows. She is excitedly making plans for a sumptuous wedding to her best friend and fiance, Heinrich. But life changes for the pair as in 1943 when the iwar is being being lost by Germany she takes a secretarial job in an administative supply section. Lotte is immediately attracted to her superior who has lost his wife and chikdren during the war.
We follow Lotte and her superior Erich, as they flee from the chaos and make their difficult way to where her mother is staying in the country with Lotte's aunt.
Along the way they realise that they are in love and we follow this pair as they try to make a new life for themselves in a Germany unlike anything either could have imagined.
It is a good read and certainly one I shall recommend to my friends and followers.

I read a lot of historical fiction books centering around Germany in World War 2, and maybe this is why I am quite critical of any books that are set in this period. Maybe it's also because my grandparents lived in Germany throughout this period, and I feel a very personal connection to that time and place. In saying all that, I did like this book, but I didn't love it. It felt a little soap-opera like at times, and I could easily see where Lotte's personal story arc was leading, no matter how many twists and trials were thrown her way. Sometimes the characters felt a bit forced, and some of the writing felt a bit contrived. By the time I got to the author bio at the back of the book, I realised that this was the author's debut novel, which I think explains some of my criticisms. Overall it was an enjoyable read, just not one that I loved (even though I did try so very hard to love it).

*Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
Historical fiction, 'The Girl from Munich' tells the story of young Charlotte and her coming of age in the dying years of World War Two. Whilst ostensibly a wartime novel, the book is so much more about families and relationships than it is about armies and battles. The author of the novel, Tania Blanchard is Australian and the book was inspired by her grandmother's experiences as a young woman in war-time Germany. The book is at times tragic and at others uplifting as it chronicles how Charlotte and her family repair their lives in post-war Germany. The descriptions of the damage done to the country - both in the physical sense and also the social fabric - are extremely vivid and touching. Well worth reading.

I found this book enjoyable. Lotte was a likeable character and I enjoyed going on her journey with her. A little long in parts, but overall I recommend this book.

Thanks Simon & Schuster (Australia) and netgalley for this ARC.

Going from young adult to actual adult is a hard process to go thru but doing it thru war is even harder. We follow the heroine on her journey though pain, love, passion, and jubilation.