I enjoy reading historical fiction books based on WWII. This one has a little different focus in that it deals with the time before, during, and after WWII in Austria. The story of Emma will tug at your heart. There are a lot of characters included … in fact, so many that it was hard to keep track. One advantage of a paper copy of a book is that you can easily flip back to a list at the beginning. that is harder to do with an e-book. However, by the time you are about halfway through the book, you begin to connect with the characters and experience their loss and betrayal and how determined and strong they were.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

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This was a great read, very compelling. The characters are will pull you in and make sure you feel something. The book has many twists and turns and is definitely worth your time to read.

this was a really well done historical novel, I enjoyed going through this story. It worked with the time period and I enjoyed going through this book.

Wonderful, wonderful book.

Another war book but it wasn't boring or the same as others. It drew me into their world, the world of Emma, Sophie and Friedrich. A world that is changing, life's that are changing and and author that can express all of this with emotion.

A well researched, emotional, heart-breaking story that keeps you enthralled. I just didn't want to put it down. I loved the authors notes as the provided more information which actually enhanced the book.

Loved it and recommend it to all lovers of historical fiction Nd those who just live a great and interesting story.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Another interesting take on the WW2 books, this one set in Vienna from 1934 to 1961. Found some parts disturbing and some characters really unlikable. The main character, Emma, was annoying in some parts but improved as the story went on.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book for review.

The one thing I truly admired about this book was how it dealt with such a long period of time. It takes the reader right from before the war starts until the 1960s. For me, that allowed the reader to gain a comprehensive understanding into the changing dynamics of Europe throughout the Second World War and its aftermath. Very few authors do that.

However, this also came to the detriment of the engagement with the characters. The chapters were very sparse and could have done with much more character development. The reader gained no emotional attachment to the characters. Due to the emotional and heartbreaking nature of some of the events, this attachment was necessary for the reader to care about the characters. Perhaps the book could have been turned into a sequel to allow for more development.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The realities of the War and its aftermath were very real and raw. I applaud the author for dealing with such a long period of time and also focusing on Vienna - a place sometimes forgotten in Second World War historical fiction novels.

This is an amazing novel set in Austria during and after WW II. This is a part of history that I knew little very about. Emma, Greta and Leonie are best friends. We see how their friendships are affected by the war. You will be drawn in right away. The true horrors of war are not sugar coated. But we also see the goodness of people and how people will do what they have to in order to survive.
I like how Irene Wittig put a character list in the beginning of the book. I definitely had to refer to it while reading! The author’s notes at the end also gave me more insight to this topic.
This is a different take on the usual WW II book. If you like historical fiction, this book is for you. The message of guilt and wondering if you did enough will stay with me.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. All opinions are my own.

I've never read a WWII novel before that focused on the perspective of war from Vienna so it was a very interesting book to read. I felt connected to the three women as I personally became vested in their fight for survival. I hope we never experience anything like WWII again as we go into the future and that we remember those who faced difficulty times during the Great Wars. This book certainty will help us to remember.

Oh Emma! I cannot even come close to imaging how your life must have been in Vienna and how brave you became. This book had all the feels, yes I did need a tissue or two. The author perfectly weaved all these characters in and out to the point that you just fell into the book. There was no stopping to try and remember something from earlier. It just read like cozy book.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley

This is a novel about friendship and survival during one of the darkest times in history. We follow three friends and their families as they deal with the repercussions of anti-Semitism in Vienna, the Nazi occupation, and the search for loved ones after the war is over—and how those times impacted the next generation. A touching read, it brings life and history together. This was an emotional story, as the author captured the love and bravery of people in the midst of betrayal and atrocities "All That Lingers" brings to life the human drama of this war, something you won't find in text books. Highly recommended.

My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Great, great book! Ms. Wittig has created a wonderful story based on events in pre and post WWII Vienna.

Even more interesting and alive than the time and place are the characters; some heroic, some villainous but none you can easily dismiss from your mind. Tragedy and traumatic events shaped their lives like nothing else and I’m talking about more than the Jewish genocide, I’m referring to the evil that people do to others personally. Fear, greed and self-centeredness caused some of the most deplorable acts.

Although there is always a silver lining as was the case here with Emma. She lived a terrible early life, but brought so much value and love to those she took under her wing she triumphed.

Thank you Net Galley and Irene Wittig.

Emma had an idyllic life in Vienna with a good circle of friends but the Rise of Nazism in Austria sent her life into chaos. Some of her Jewish friends left Austria for a safer country. One of her friends was apprehended by the Nazis in his home as he was getting ready to meet his wife to flee the county. Emma risks her life by hiding some Jewish friends.. She keeps her humanity while watching others turn in people to the Nazis in order to obtain favors for themselves. She finds comfort in helping those less fortunate than herself.

As the war ends, a young girl, Sophie, that has sought refuge in America during the war returns to Vienna to seek her lost history. Her Uncle, Friedrich teeters on the edge of what is right and his personal survival. HIs actions threaten the lives of the others. This book interweaves the stories of those that still have hope of a better life as they suffer through loss and devastation. I recommend this book.

Having read many books on the subject of WW11 and the rise of Nazism, I was not expecting too much from this novel. However, the author had me hooked from the first chapter and I became fully engrossed in it as the narrative unfolded. The characters are well developed and sympathetic and the action totally convincing. An enjoyable read and one I would definitely recommend.

I was hooked from the first chapter. Excellent book. My favorite genre probably made it that much better for me. I felt like I knew the characters personally. I felt like I was there with them. Absolutely recommend.

Historical fiction is my favorite genre, and I am especially drawn to stories from WWII. This one was a bit difficult for me to get in to at the beginning as there were so many characters introduced with little chance for character development (I was concerned when the book started with a list of characters several pages long) and I had trouble connecting with any of them initially, especially our protagonist Emma. The emotions the characters experienced were well described in the authors writing but didn’t evoke the kind of emotion I’d expected... it’s one thing to read about a character’s anger, grief, or frustration and another to feel their emotion, and it wasn’t until I was fifty percent in that I truly began to feel Emma’s despair, anger and sadness.

That said, I really really liked the perspective from which this story was told, not only pre and post WWII Vienna, but also the stark differences in how the different characters were affected (or not) by the perils of wartime and the betrayal they felt from their country. I found the second half of the story more engaging and thought provoking, allowing me to ponder on the moral fiber of the characters and how this played into motive. So many came into play (compassion, greed, betrayal, complicity, complacency, loyalty, selfishness, truth...) but for me I think it was the overall journey through wartime and the decades beyond, watching Emma, Sophie and even Friedrich to an extent, maneuver their way through loss, heartache, destruction, betrayal and devastation toward survival and hope that was most captivating. Such resilience and strength they possessed. I felt the character development was able to soar in the second half and I was finally able to connect with several of the characters and become invested. I loved watching Emma grow as a character and found myself routing for her in her search for some happiness and peace. I am very glad I pushed through with this beautiful story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for a chance to read this story. It’s one that will stay with me for a while.

I was hooked in this book by the first chapter. It is a harsh, realistic look into the lives of the characters through and after WWII. There is friendship, heartbreak, loyalty, loss, love, redemption.

I really can't go into much without giving too much away. The main focus of the book is about the life of Emma before, during, and after the war. She is scared, feels love, tries to forget, tries to remember, is heartbroken, suffers survivor's guilt, helps others, finds love and forgiveness.

I have read many stories about WWII, but this one really helped me understand some of the aspects I had never thought of, the loyalty and guilt some faced., the deniability and duplicity of others.

I recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about those in Europe during the war and after.

I was given the opportunity to read this by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Every other read I pick up seems to be of the WWII vintage. Each story is different though a common theme of anti Nazism seems to run through it all. No one likes being submissive to a foreign invader, and this is something that has happened through the centuries (still happening sadly).

Emma is our chief character but the story of Sophie and Uncle Freidrich are paramount to the story too. Set in Vienna, the idyllic period of Austrian history was about to be demolished and in its place a more darker part of history began.
It is also surprising that Austria did not acknowledge this dark period in its history till very much later.

Emma is leading a very comfortable life, well established when her eyes are opened to an alternate life for those around her - the Jews and those who are not sympathetic to the Nazi cause.
The story was unusual. It did not end in 1945 but it continued into the next generation.

This was an unusual take on WWII and the rise of Nazism in Europe, and then the eventual downfall.

She wanted to protect them, but was their protection dependent on her wish?

Emma is a beautiful girl who had a wonderful life and the faith in the bright future with her fiance and theit expected child. She had had the quite life full of happy moments before the rise of Nazism in Austria, when everything turned upside down. She had to hide her Jewish friends in her apartment. She had to do everything to protect them.

I enjoyed reading this book. As for me the main value of it is the historical facts of the presence of Nazi Germany in Austria during the World War 2 and how the Austrian people survived in the wartime.

This is a good book and it is worth reading. I would recommend it to everyone who is interested in historical fiction.

Thanks #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!

I am always interested to read about WWII and this book drew me with its description. The beginning of Nazism in Austria marks the shattering of hopes and dreams for the multiple characters in this novel. This tale is of friendship, betrayal, love, and greed.

Thank you Netgalley and Irene Witting for giving me this opportunity to read this book.

This book left much to be desired. Character development was lacking, introducing too many characters at once with little detail. We jumped right in with little backstory. There was little explanation of Austria's involvement in WWII and the people within. I felt as though I needed to feel the WHY or WHAT would make others do such things, and we only scratched the surface. There was no emotion, and I need to feel something; pride, shame, fear. This is a subject that brings with it such feeling, as it should; unfortunately, this book just lacked the poignancy that the time period deserves.

Having read so many historical fiction novels of this chapter in history, I immerse myself in the history and grief of those affected in this time in history. This book does describe well the generational effects of such a time, but just missed the mark in storytelling for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.