Post war Germany 1945, this epic historical fiction brings us to Graufeld Displaced Persons camp where we follow Klara Janowska and her daughter Alicja, they along with thousands others who needed to navigate through dangerous conditions and do anything to find a safe home. Klara and Alicja were the lucky ones.

Klara and Alicka are the heart in this sad tale. The story highlights how far a mother would go to protect her child and how deep the love of a daughter has for her mother. Both had endured the horrors of war before fleeing their native Poland walking for weeks to get to Graufeld , a camp where they found themselves in a grim situation, with basic rations and where they will be plunged in a cat and mouse game with an old adversary….. Oskar Schotz.

The story is narrated by Klara, Alicja and Davide Bouvier, the camp administrator.

The characterisation is superb especially when Klara and Oskar circle each other amidst the confines of the camp. The story also moves beyond the camps’ walls where the cost of war is revealed in heart wrenching depth. Cruelty and kindness and simple human compassion are poignantly explored. Ms. Furnivall particularly knows how to emotional engage us with shocking events in the darkest days of wartime and by vividly bringing to life the uncertainty and desperation of the displaced.

“The Survivors” although brutal is beautifully written, full of tension, thrills, and historical details. This is another cleverly plotted historical fiction which explores the resistance of human against adversity.

Well-done

What would you do to save your child? “I became a guard dog.” So says Klara Janowska as she fights to save the life of her child In the horrific aftermath of an horrific war. Klara and her daughter, Alicja have survived against all odds and now, in 1945, find themselves in Graufeld Camp for displaced persons located in the British occupied part of Germany.

Life in the camp is hard; food is scarce; living conditions are tough, but there are no bombs falling, no tanks rolling through the streets. The danger that still creeps in the dark corners of the camp are dangers Klara and her daughter can avoid. Until she sees a face from the past and instantly knows that her fight for survival may now be a fight to the death.

The Survivors is a brutal but beautiful story of love and hate, honour, loyalty, and betrayal. A roller coaster thriller, the story takes the reader from the here and now of the Camp to snatches from the past that little by little reveal the events that will take us to the climatic ending. Ms. Furnivall’s depiction of life in Europe in the aftermath of war highlights her meticulous research. She pulls no punches as she graphically describes the lengths to which we will go in order to survive. Her characters are brilliantly drawn and absolutely believable. With her words, she makes the reader understand how, in the characters of Niks and Davide for example, two very outwardly different people can be very alike inside.

Some may find this a difficult read. Perhaps because I grew up immersed in images and words describing the war and its aftermath, I had to put this book aside from time to time. Despite this, I have no hesitation is recommending The Survivors to anyone who enjoys a tense and well written story.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster, and Netgalley for an ARC of The Survivors in return for an honest review

The Survivors, written by Kate Furnivall, follows Klara and her daughter Alicja after the end of World War II. They are housed in a Displaced Persons camp and the story tells of their life in there and their struggle to get out. I found the book to be extremely well written and compelling, especially the ending. You never know who is someone that can be trusted, and there were many surprises along the way. Ms Furnivall obviously did a lot of research, as her descriptions of life in the camp were very realistic. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in what life was like immediately after the war ended, especially as this is not a subject that is often written about.

The Survivors has so much to offer: it has a strong women , especially Klara, it has mystery, thrills, devastation, survival and hope plus history that many may not be aware of.

The Survivors takes place in a Displaced Persons Camp post war Germany where Klara is placed along with her 10 year old daughter. The book opens with Klara seeing someone from her past : "Directly I saw him , I knew he had to die "

You are drawn into the story very quickly and the pages turn fast.

You feel like you are in the same Hut as Klara , her daughter and Hanna.

This was my first Kate Furnivall book but it wont be my last.

Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy of The Survivors.

Get your copy, settle in for a great story.

This book deserves a solid 5 stars. What a powerful book. I was a bit hesitant to read this book, because I knew I was going to be reading about a lot of suffering, pain, humiliation, loss of personal freedom and an unbelievable amount of cruelty. I have to admit, I knew nothing about life after the War … this was the first book about life in the internment camps and the aftermath of a devastating war. I am so impressed with this author. She manages to weave a brilliant story about undeniable love between mother and daughter, blossoming friendships, down to betrayal that has you glued to page after page …chapter after chapter! There were lots of twists and turns woven throughout the novel that it kept you hooked on reading more and more. I will definitely be looking for more of Ms Furnivall in the future!

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review