It's evident that Jan Eliasberg works heavily in film and television. This being her debut novel, she did quite a good job of setting the scene, moving between the characters, and writing engaging, quick dialogue. I do think, however, there was some depth missing because of this cinematic quality. At times the characters felt a bit shallow and were performing rather than existing as fully-formed human beings.

I also didn't love the romantic subplots in this book. If Eliasberg is aiming to write about the forgotten women of history through Hannah Weiss (who is based on the real woman, Lise Meitner) and her story, then I felt the focus was shifted away from her actual work and, at times, more focused on her romantic life and how that impacted history. I don't know how much of that was based on Meitner's story IRL but that romantic subplot, especially in the present day timeline of this book, felt like something you'd add to a movie to make it more commercially appealing to audiences. I don't look for that nor want it in my fiction, but that's just a personal preference.

Overall, this was a quick, interesting read that made me consider the history behind the Atomic Bomb as well as the many ways that certain figures are erased from history because of prejudice or telling a more neat and tidy story.

This was a really interesting book regarding WWII, with a different tale than most.
In 1938 Berlin, Dr Hannah Weiss, physicist, is working on the greatest discovery of the 20th century: splitting the atom. As a Jewish woman working under the rule of the Third Reich, her work is often overlooked, downplayed and then eventually stolen and credit taken by male coworkers.
In 1945 New Mexico, Major Jack Delaney arrives in New Mexico, tasked with finding out who is the spy that has been leaking the Nazis top-secret intel about the work on the atomic bomb. Dr Weiss is at the top of the suspect list, and as Jack interrogates her, he comes to learn just what kind of a woman she is and that they have more in common than he thought.
The science aspect was really an interesting take, I have read many books about nurses, reporters, librarians, the resistance, spies and survivors but never one with a scientist. Very enjoyable, interesting take based on true events.

This book is fictional more than accurately historical.
It made me think of all these books about female scientists who achieved great things but weren't credited for it, or so little...
It was a compelling read, I liked it!

(3.5 stars rounded down)

When love threatens to stand in the way of science, which will prove victorious?

I think this is one of the most quickly paced historical fiction novels I have ever read. I could see every scene so clearly, and think this would make a great film or mini-series. That being said, the quick pacing took away some of the character development for me. I found myself not really caring for Jack and feeling torn on how to feel towards Hannah (though of course that is the point). But even with how quickly this novel clipped along, I sometimes found myself skimming paragraphs rather than being enraptured by the story. I definitely enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to others, but there were parts that just felt a little day-time soapy to me and I felt myself wanting more character development.

LOVED IT! Absolutely loved it! This book got me out of a HUGE reading slump. I couldn't put it down. Hannah is a mysterious heroine with brains, courage...but is she a traitor?? You will have to find out for yourself, and I highly recommend you do. Fascinating look into the creation of the atomic bomb and WWII Germany. All the stars

This is a little different story based on WWII. While touted as historical fiction, it’s a little more fiction that fact. But it is still an interesting read. You will be taken two timelines as you explore Hannah’s time in Germany and the difficulties the Jewish people experienced before and during WWII. You’ll also learn about Hannah’s story in present day as she is investigated and is attempting to keep her secrets hidden.

This is should really be considered a spy thriller and I enjoyed the presentation of a woman in science and the difficulties she experienced during a time when female scientists were not given the respect they deserved.

Thank you to NetGalley and Back Bay Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

What an interesting book. Full of espionage, WWII facts, many twists and turns and great historical background. I liked a lot of things here. Writing was well done here! If I had to read this book I definitely will do for what I have learned and experienced here.

Hannah’s War by Jan Eliasberg

To wage a atomic war it was a race between Germany, Russia and the United States! Germany was pulling ahead, but Hitler was losing his best scientists because of his trying to exterminate the Jewish race! Some of the best minds were Jewish and he was either killing them or they were defecting because of his practices of alienating their families and friends!
The author Jan Eliasberg has weaved together a compelling drama that is heart wrenching! It opens up a world of questions that haunts you to your soul. I remember various things from history class, but some of this I did further research on and it just opened up another world for me that the people who worked on the site where the bomb was prepared have issues with remorse and of course what the people suffered where the bombs actually detonated!

How would you live your life if you knowingly helped to create something that would kill millions? Scientists that built the atomic bomb had no idea what the socio damage or economic effects Short term nor long term would be on an area. This would be the first time a bomb would be dropped and there was only a best guess as to how far of an area would be affected. Could even 100 years later, what would be the effect from the bomb on the ground and the plants and the water within the blast zone?

Finality of ones decision making can make them a pariah of society. What they have done is considered a blessing by others and war crimes by yet others.
Was the Atomic bomb an atrocity to societal detriment or in retrospect was it truly the only thing that could have saved and stopped the war or was it just a way for them to test the bomb to actually see what it could really and truly do???
Think on these issues as you read Hannah’s War!! An excellent book for your library to have for yourself and friends and future generations!!!

Dr. Hannah Weis is a woman Jewish scientist who struggles not only because she is Jewish, but she is a woman and a Austrian citizen who resides in Germany that is being controlled by a man who wants to eliminate all Jewish people!
Even though she has a brilliant mind and has been instrumental in developing key issues for the atomic bomb program several men in Germany have not given her the respect she deserves so she has had to defect to the United States in order to keep her family safe and she didn’t want the bomb to end up in the hands of a crazy man like Hitler.
There are so many things in this book that has to do with the safety of the country in regards to spies and we all know how spying and how classified information can get into enemy hands such as Russia because of disgruntled employees! Just think about Hitler getting the Atomic bomb information first which he might have because he had the very scientists that ended up helping the United States! Just think about the NASA program how many of those scientists were from other countries because they were oppressed!
This book is a remarkable history book with sources that are phenomenal!!
I personally thank the publisher and author for the foresight in seeing the value of this book!!! I truly appreciate and recommend this book highly just on that point!!
I received a advanced copy from netgally and these are truly my own personal thoughts and words and opinions!!!!

This book was a quick and enjoyable read. It made me think of The Alice Network and Hidden Figures, as the story was based on a female Jewish scientist and the building of the atomic bomb at the end of World War 2. The author kept it interesting by focusing on drawing the characters and not adding too much technical detail. The plot was well thought out with some unexpected twists and good imagery. Overall this love story/spy thriller was an interesting read.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3379284888

This book is enjoyable for the fact that it isn't just another WWII novel. It explores the desperate fight to be the first to create the atomic bomb. The fact that this is also overlapped with an elaborate espionage plot is intriguing. Eliasberg worked the two facets of the plot together well. The additional character developments make the book even more enjoyable.

Thank you to Netgalley and Jan Eliasberg for my copy of Hannah’s War for an honest review. It’s the story of Dr. Hannah Weiss during two life changing times in her life. One in Germany, as a scientist and a Jewish at that. Than as a female scientist working on the Atomic Bomb, for the United States. She finds herself running from Nazi Germany and defending herself against treason in the USA. We meet Dr Stephan Frei and Major Jack Delaney who fight for Hannah. Hannah’s story is beautifully told and the tie in with WWII is excellent. The characters are well developed and I really enjoyed it. This was a 4 star read for me and I have recommended it to friends and family.

**Thank you @netgalley and @janeliasberg for this free copy. 📚Book Review: Hannah’s War by Jan Eliasberg
Book Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars

This historical fiction novel set during WW2 follows Major Jack Delaneys mission to find out if Dr. Hannah Weiss is in fact the spy that the government suspects her of being.

You see, Hannah is a brilliant physicist who is helping create the atomic bomb at Los Alamos. But letters have been discovered that makes it look like she’s sending secrets back to the Nazis. But is she really?

My freshman year of college I took a class called History of the Holocaust. My textbooks are in this photo. Being of German and Italian heritage, WW2 is one of those topics that I just devour. And the Holocaust is one area of it that I can’t get enough information on. So when I read that not only was this set in WW2 but that Hannah was a Jewish physicist who is suspected of working with the Nazis, I was intrigued. And this book did not disappoint.

You mainly get Jacks POV set in 1945 but Hannah begins to tell her history of living in Berlin beginning in 1938. I loved that aspect of this book because we got to see how the rise of Hitler affected her family directly, starting with her Mother. But we also got to see a beautiful love story blossom within the flashbacks.

I can’t recommend this book enough. If it’s been on your TBR list, move it to the top. It’s a quick read that will hook you from the first paragraph.

From the beginning, the story did not flow and I often felt disconnected. It was hard to follow what was going on and where the story was going.

I was fortunate to receive this book courtesy of Little, Brown & Co, and BookClubCookbook. Hannah's War highlights the brilliant scientific accomplishments of the fictional character Dr. Hannah Weiss, based on the little known true story of Dr. Lisa Meitner. She was involved in the development of the atomic bomb at Los Alamos after fleeing Berlin during WWII. This unique take becomes a cat and mouse spy thriller with espionage, interrogations, and deceptions. Well written with engaging characters, this beautifully descriptive historical novel held my interest from beginning to end.

I really enjoyed Hannah’s War. Not only was she a female scientist during World War II but she was also Jewish. She started in Germany and then ended up in the US working with Oppenheimer. One minute you love her, then you question her. A great WWII read.

I love anything WW2 related since childhood. I requested this title asap and thank you so much for the free copy. A great title for any reader, not just historical fiction fans.

Really I give Hannah's War 3.5 stars!

Hannah's War is an engaging historical fiction (not typically my genre) that, as Eliasberg explains, is inspired by a Jewish woman named Lise Meitner. Meitner was the brilliant mind behind the discovery of nuclear fission and later contributed to the development of the nuclear bomb. While the story is completely imagined by the author, it’s very compelling. As the reader you are thrust into Hannah Weiss’s world of science, love, and life during WWII as a brilliant Jewish physicist. Weiss escapes her homeland of Berlin as Nazi Germany takes over and ends up at a lab in Los Alamos, New Mexico to work on the project to build the first atomic bomb. Major Jack Delaney is sent to Los Alamos to try to uncover a “traitor” that is believed to be among the scientists. Almost immediately he zeros in on Weiss. What follows is a cat and mouse game of interrogation as both characters look to uncover the truth about one another and the world in which they exist. Over the few days that Delaney has to carry out this mission, he battles admiration and a growing love for Hannah.

• Possible Spoilers Ahead •
Let me start by saying I’m a big fan of romantic/love story plots. While the love story aspect of this book was sweet... what I really enjoyed most was the incredibly articulated world of physics, as well as the mystery on which Eliasberg built the foundation of this book - “Why did Germany never build an atomic bomb?” With that said... the love story intertwined in the plot almost felt like fluff? I would have loved this book to focus less on the men she “seduced” with her brilliance. Regardless, this book was very well written and a worthwhile read!

This story was written beautifully, in fact, I think the writing style was my favorite pet of the story. I think the first passage in the beginning ruined a bit of the tension for me, so aside from that, the tension build was good. I didn’t connect with the characters unfortunately, I have a hard time reading about Nazis and having someone try to make them seem sympathetic, isn’t really my style. I think this is the right story for many people, just not me. I very much appreciate the chance to read this and I’m sorry it missed the mark.

WW2, science, historical-figures, historical-novel, historical-places-events, historical-research

An exiled German scientist who is an anathema to the nazis because she is a Jewess is brought to Los Alamos to work with other scientists on a very secretive project. There she works with others in a very secret place and seems to be hounded by a suspicious war veteran working for the internal version of the OSS. I am at a loss as to how to convey how excellent this book is both on the fiction and historical research levels without going into spoilers. It is compelling and the imagery of persons, places, and emotions are spot on. I will be buying the audio when I can so that I can reread it when so motivated.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Little, Brown and Company via NetGalley. Thank you!

I wish I'd liked this more than I did. This tale of a Jewish Austrian woman nuclear scientist working on the Manhattan Project who is suspected of spying was fascinating in parts, and it made elements of science understandable and interesting even to a science-phobe like me. The writing was descriptive, the research impressive, and the story well paced. But some of the dialogue read more like soliloquies, there were too many improbabilities for my taste, and the seemingly arbitrary switching from third person to first person several times near the end annoyed me.

Thank you, NetGalley and Little, Brown & Co., for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.