Another 5 ⭐️ read for me. You step inside the home of a German family in the 1930’s. Hetty Heinrich’s father becomes a high-ranking Natzis during the rise of the Thousand Year Reich. She must choose between the convictions of her heart and duty to her country. ⁣
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This is a well written historical fiction where I learned more about the life in Germany during this horrible time of history. Once I picked it up each time to read it was hard to put down. It was infuriating to hear about how evil humans can be. Yet, it was encouraging to see such courage and sacrifice for the love of others. ⁣

Great story about a young girl growing up during Hitlers rise to power and rule. A different perspective

Daughter of the Reich spans the life of one little girl, Hetty, as she grows up in the early days of Nazi Germany. You first meet her as a young girl who has just moved into a large house in Leipzig, Germany. Her father is a high ranking officer in the SS. From the beginning Hetty is conflicted about the Nazi ideologies. It is these conflicts and the re-uniting of her girlhood crush that changes her trajectory forever. This book was deeply compelling as it is told from the German point of view. The story moves quickly and is well written. I found I couldn't put it down until I read the very last word with tears in my eyes. I would highly recommend this book.

This is the story of a young girl, Hetty, growing up in Germany in the early 1900s. As you watch her grow, you see how she is learning and adapting and making her own opinions and decisions about living in Hitler’s Germany. The characters are somewhat cliched, and I found this book to be similar to many other Historical fiction novels based in Germany during the same time.
Having said that, I did enjoy reading Daughter of the Reich, and I did like watching Hetty fight back when she needed to.

Thank you to Net Galley and the Book Club Girls for early access to this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the second book I've read in recent months that is set in the pre-World War II time period of the 1930s in Germany, during which Hitler rose to power and Nazism infiltrated every part of the country. Though set in a similar time period, the angle that this book explores is markedly different. The story is told from the perspective of Hetty Heinrich, who, as the daughter of a high-ranking SS officer, was raised to be the perfect German citizen — pure in lineage, patriotic, fiercely loyal to Hitler and the Nazi ideology he espoused. As a dutiful "daughter" of the Thousand Year Reich, Hetty is prepared to do her part — that is, until one day when she is accidentally reunited with Walter Keller, an estranged childhood friend who had saved her from drowning when she was seven years old. To Hetty, Walter is perfect in every way — except for the fact that he is Jewish, and also, as Hetty slowly starts to realize, he goes against every belief she had previously been taught. The two of them end up falling in love and gradually, Hetty realizes everything she thought she understood about her family and country were actually lies, which ignites in her the will to fight against them. When the tides of anti-semitism in Germany escalate to the point where Walter's mere existence is put into question, Hetty is faced with the ultimate decision to try and save him at all costs.

As is expected when reading historical fiction, the feeling of being transported to a different time and place is one of the things I always look out for, which in this story worked really well. This book's strongest element though is in the area of character development. We first meet Hetty when she is 7 years old and subsequently follow her development through her teenage years, but what stands out the most is her feisty personality and strong-willed nature. Hetty is a character who both enthralls and frustrates in equal measure, which I guess is what makes her such an interesting character.

Given the historical context, books set against the backdrop of Nazi rule going into World War II are rarely ever "easy" reads and of course, this book was no exception. The sections that described the brutalities inflicted upon Jews (and others who were considered "enemies" of the regime) were difficult to read, yet I understand why such details were necessary to the story. With that said though, I also felt the writing was a bit uneven in certain areas — the narrative was told entirely from Hetty's first person perspective, yet some sections were descriptive to the point that it didn't seem to match the voice. I also felt the story dragged a bit in the earlier chapters and it wasn't until around the halfway mark that the story became much more engaging — though with that said, for me at least, the last section of the book was the strongest in terms of plot, character, and emotional nuance.

Despite some issues with pacing and flow, this was a good story overall, and definitely a worthy entry into the canon of WWII-era fiction, in my opinion. Over the years, I've heard many people complain about the over-saturation of WWII era novels in the market and while I agree for the most part, I also feel it's extremely important for these stories to continue to be told, if anything, to serve as a lesson for us and future generations, that history cannot be forgotten.

Received ARC from William Morrow (HarperCollins) via Bookbrowse First Impressions program

It is 1933 in pre-war Germany and 12 year old Hetty Heinrich wants nothing more than to be a model German by following the lead of the new Chancellor of Germany Adolph Hitler. So what happens when she finds out the young man she's had a crush on since she was eight is Jewish.
The book explores how a teenage girl starts to question the beliefs she has been brought up on and which her family still hold. It is the story of a forbidden love with potentially disastrous consequences. It also provides an insider's look at the impact the rise of Hitler had on German society. A very good read.

Read if you: Want an emotion-packed novel about a romance between a young German girl from a Nazi family and a German Jewish boy.

Athough characterizations aren't particularly deep in this story, I found it moving and compelling. It can get rather soap-operaish in its storytelling, but not annoyingly so. Readers who enjoy romantic historical fiction will eagerly read this (the ending is rather heartbreaking yet hopeful). Although this is marketed as "inspired by the author's own family history," there is no author's note or explanation that supports this. I was rather disappointed to get to the end of the story and find no such note. I would have rated it higher if it had included further explanation.

Librarians and booksellers: This would be a good book club choice--lots to discuss!

Many thanks to William Morrow Paperbacks and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love historical fiction, particularly from the WW2 era, and this book did not disappoint. This was such a heartbreaking story. I loved the relationship between Hetty and Walter, as well as Hetty and Erna. Walter and Erna remind us that there is still hope in the most dire of circumstances. I will be thinking of these characters for some time.

Since I started reading historical fiction books a couple of months ago, I’ve fallen in love with this genre. Even though the stories are difficult to read, I’ve learned so much from each of them. This book in particular, Daughter of the Reich, is especial because it has a completely different perspective. I really enjoyed it.

This is a book that stayed on my mind well after turning the last page. Taking place during the onset of World War II, it is the story of a young German girl who falls in love with her Jewish childhood friend. As they grow older, and as tensions in Europe grow tighter, their love is put to the test along with their loyalties to their families and beliefs. It's true, if you enjoyed The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Nightingale, and All The Light We Cannot See, you will not want to miss this story!

As the dutiful daughter of a high-ranking Nazi officer, Hetty Heinrich is keen to play her part in the glorious new Thousand Year Reich. But she never imagines that all she believes and knows about her world will come into stark conflict when she encounters Walter, a Jewish friend from the past, who stirs dangerous feelings in her. Confused and conflicted, Hetty doesn’t know whom she can trust and where she can turn to, especially when she discovers that someone has been watching her.

I got this book as an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. I have read many of the popular books on WWII, but this is the first one I have read, I think, that is from the German point of view. I thought it was well written and researched and would highly recommend it.

I read a lot of WWII-era books, so I was excited to check this one out. However, it didn't quite hit the mark with me. I found the pace too slow, and I had a hard time connecting with Hetty. It almost felt like it was geared toward a younger audience, as some of Hetty's actions were a bit childish. The writing didn't grab me, though it was solid enough. It was just an okay read, but I'm not sure I'd recommend it to others.

A fast-paced, heart-wrenching story with a powerful ending that had me in tears. I finished the book in two days, I couldn’t put it down.

This is the first time I read a World War II book from this point of view and there were parts that were difficult to read. Over the course of the book, Hetty transforms and finally confronts the reality of the horrors committed by the Nazis.

The love story between Hetty and Walter is moving and heartbreaking. The characters are well developed and come alive on the page. An immersive, beautifully-written story where you feel the turmoil and peril at every turn.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and The Book Club Girls for this advanced reader’s copy.

This was a heartbreaking story that will definitely stay with me for a long time. It's told from the point of view of Hetty, a young German girl, starting from the age of 7 (in 1929) and then up into her teenage years. The reader gets to see how her opinion of Jewish people gets warped by Hitler's ideology, how her schooling turns into propaganda, and how things change for her family, friends, and neighbors as she grows older. As with any book about teenagers, I found myself screaming, "NO! Don't do that! What are you thinking?!" I actually lost count of how many times I said that, but all of the choices these characters made were believable and realistic for the situations they were in. Hetty is shocked to learn that her older brother's best friend Walter is Jewish. To her, there is no way he can be all of the bad things she has been taught to believe about Jewish people, but she struggles with the inner conflict of her strongly held beliefs vs. what she knows about a boy she grew up with who once saved her life.

Huge thank you to Net Galley and William Morrow for giving me the pleasure of reading and reviewing this novel.

I absolutely loved it! A German girl, growing up in Nazi run Germany, falls in love with a Jewish boy. In a time where everything about their love is forbidden, she does everything she can to help him survive. This novel moved so quickly. It shows the good that people did in such a terrible situation. Highly recommend this book!

Thank you for allowing me to read an early copy of Daughter of the Reich. I enjoyed this book especially since it was told by a teenage girl and how she changed from being a supporter of Hitler to seeing how evil he and his followers were. I wish there was a little more of her story from age 16 to where it picked up. I was left wanting to know more about her life and those around her other than the very brief summary at the end.

Before World War 2 broke out. Their was a lot of setup to what Hitler had planned for his beloved country. To cast out the dirty swine, the unpure, the feeble minded. He chose the Jews as such. History shows us how crazy this man was. This book is about a young girl that is growing up and idolizing Hitler and his ways. Her influential family is high ranking and follows the guidance of the Fuhrer.

Herta (Hetty) is the daughter of a newspaper publisher. One that harps the praises of Hitler, and speaks ill of the Jews. This book is a coming of age story during the uprising of Hitler and his terrible ways. Hetty is brought up to believe that Hitler is amazing, and great. That they should idolize his ways and follow the path he has laid out for the Germans.

Along the way, Hetty has many revelations about the Hitler ideal. Her childhood crush turns out to be a Jew, although he looks and acts nothing like the dirty Jews that Hitler so wants to get rid of. He's kind and sweet, and she forges a friendship with him after she finds out his heritage. She knows this could be really bad for her and her family. Especially since her Father has a direct connection to the Fuhrer himself.
As the book moves forward, many things begin to happen and Hetty begins to find her own way in this tragic world.

What a great new perspective of this time period. To have a direct connection to Hitler and the decisions to know them firsthand. The first half of the book has a ton of backstory and was a bit wordy for me. About half way through the book seemed to finally have a purpose and direction. I couldn't read it fast enough to find out the conclusion and how things would resolve. If you can get past the slow beginning and extra words, the rest of the book is pretty good. We know from history the terror that Hitler has shown. That knowledge makes this perspective so rich. Overall a great Historical Fiction perspective on WW2.

ARC from William Morrow and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review...
I couldn’t put this down! I found myself reading later and later into the night to see what happened. I am a huge fan of WWII novels and this one was unlike any I have read before. It really brought the turmoil of the German who didn’t know better and then realized. You couldn’t help by root for Herta and just feel crushed when things didn’t work out as she would have liked them. But she was a such a strong character! Well done for a debut novel on a topic that can be considered, overdone!

I quite enjoyed this book which gave me the insight and mindset of the youth in Germany during this era . I see how the youth and others were swayed by the propaganda and the various organizations they belong to.

Was not a fan of this book. Not sure if it was because of the genre or simple because of the particular way the writer chose to go about the story. Would love to try to author again but i just was not feeling this book unfortunately.