What a gut punch! It’s been a while since I’ve read a historical fiction novel centered around World War II, but I’m so glad this is the one I chose to pick up. Despite being raised Jewish and learning quite a bit about the Holocaust, I had never heard of Theresienstadt ghetto and knew nothing of the propaganda films made there. It was truly fascinating and horrifying to read about. I loved Hannah and her people so much. She just felt so normal and real to me. Hilde was a well written character, but of course, I was happy when her fate was revealed.

Epilogues are not something I always find necessary, but I was so happy to see how everyone’s lives ended up, whether they went on to live a long time or were killed in the camps. This was an emotional and sobering book, but one I would heartily recommend!

This is a fantastically written well researched historical fiction novel. My favorite historical fiction revolves around the Holocaust, and this one was so fantastic and heartbreaking. Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the eARC.

During WWII the Germans initiated a propaganda campaign to show that they treated the Jews humanely. Theresienstadt was a ghetto that they used as a model example of their Jewish communities. In reality, this ghetto was horrible and dangerous, despite the Germans sprucing it up and dressing up the inhabitants to film them looking well cared for and healthy. Hannah is living in the ghetto and along with the other Jews. She and other reidents know what’s expected of them but that doesn’t prevent some of them from wanting to show the world the real conditions. Hannah puts herself at risk by working with the resistance and trying to sabotage the Germans.

Hilde is a local girl with aspirations of becoming a famous filmmaker. She will do whatever it takes to convince the man responsible for creating films of the ghetto, to use her ideas and let her assist with the filming. Fully invested in the Nazi ethos, she is determined to create a stunning piece of propaganda that supports Hitler’s version of the truth. But Hilde is shocked when she finds her childhood friend Hannah among the ghetto residents. Always needing approval, Hilde reaches out to the girl who was once her good friend, but her ignorance of reality is truly stunning.

Despite Theresienstadt’s purported image as a comfortable Jewish settlement, the Jews are starving and there are regular deportations to death camps. Some put themselves at additional risk by participating in acts of resistance. Make no mistake, this ghetto was a real labor camp and the attempt to paint it as humane and benevolent was totally false.

Hannah’s situation is more tragic than Hilde’s. But, as much as Hilde is deplorable, she’s also pathetic. Coburn captures the fear and desperation of both women as they try to survive the Nazi regime.

If you read Jennifer Coburn’s Cradles of the Reich then you definitely need to pick up The Girls of the Glimmer Factory.

One of the girls from Cradles of the Reich, Hilde, is one of the main characters in this book that takes place after that one ended. Hilde is still loyal to the Reich and is trying to get another job after returning to Berlin following the death of her husband. She secured a job working on a propaganda film and encounters a childhood friend in the Jews Ghetto of Theresienstadt.

Hannah was supposed to be with her family traveling to Palestine but contracted smallpox and was not able to leave so her grandfather stayed behind with her. Eventually, they are transported to Theresienstadt believing it would be a safe a prosperous place for Jews but quickly learned that was not the case.

This book tells two sides to a difficult time in history. One is a story of survival from the atrocities inflicted on the Jewish people at the hands of the Nazi. The other is a story from the other side of the coin of an individual living their life following along with the expectations of their country.



Thank you publishers and netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

The Girls of the Glimmer Factory is a powerful and haunting story that brought Theresienstadt vividly to life. I was moved by the way it honored the resilience of those who resisted through art and truth, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it long after I finished.

The Nazis were all about propaganda and how things looked. When they had to prepare for inspections for the Red Cross or other agencies, they would hide the sick and elderly and show the Jews in camp Theresienstadt praying and enjoying themselves. Many of the resistance are trying to make the world see the truth.

Hannah plans to disrupt the Nazis plans regardless of the danger to her. This book was just as incredible as the authors other works. She shows a side of WWII many haven't written about yet. The Glimmer Factory is told in alternating POVs. This book is well researched, and I really enjoyed reading about another ghetto I didn't know existed.

The Girls of the Glimmer Factory is WWII historical fiction, and like Jennifer Coburn's first, in a perspective than is different than what I've read before, so I appreciate it. This is set at Theresienstadt, which was a Jewish ghetto in Germany that was dedicated to the arts for the purpose of German propaganda, to show the world, including the Red Cross and the League of Nations, that the Jews were being treated well, even while being starved, imprisoned, worked to death and then sent to Auschwitz and other concentration camps. This book follows Hannah, a young Jewish woman whose family moved from Germany to Czechoslovakia to avoid the Nazis, only to get sent to the camp with her grandfather, while other family members escaped to Palestine. Hannah finds friendship, love and family in the camp, and reluctantly is pulled into resistance activities. Hilda is a Nazi who was friends with Hannah as children. Hilda is working on a film to show the world the camp, and reconnects with Hannah. Their reunion wasn't very satisfying, but the rest of the book was well done and I am glad to have learned more about this aspect of the Holocaust.

I have read so many books about the Holocaust over the years. Each one presents a slightly different situation regarding the years of the war. This particular story kept my interest as I read the book. Always sad and always heartbreaking. I would recommend this book to readers who can tolerate the pain of the times.

There are many characters we will hear from. The primary character is Hannah Kaufman and then Hilde, who in the past knew Hannah. Hilde wants to climb a career ladder as a filmmaker for the Nazi party. Hannah and her grandfather end up in the Theresinstadt ghetto. This is the camp that was used for deceptive purposes. Sometimes the book is hard to read, but that is due to what people went through. I recommend reading it. I received an Advance Reader Copy and am writing a review voluntarily.

Wow, I can't even imagine the things that these ladies went through. Told in two different pov's which was easy to follow as one was a victim of the Holocaust and the other believed in Hitler's propaganda.
I think the author did a great job of showing us how fake news is still the same even now. We saw how the Nazis made it seem like the place where they had Jewish people stay called Theresienstadt the "glimmer factory."
This book was powerful and the characters you just felt for them and the secondary characters. It breaks your heart just to even read about the horrors, but you see how much the will to live plays a huge part. This story was amazing and well thought out. You can tell the research that went into this. I wish they taught this in school because it is something that all need to learn.
There was a part where Hilde ended up regretting her choices and I will say I felt shocked it went that way. It was amazing to see how both Hilde (who was all for Nazis) and Hannah (who was fleeing) grew up together but ended up in different areas of the world. We see how they met up again, but it isn't in the best conditions and you are just hoping Hannah can be free along with all those with her. I am not big on historical fiction, but as I am getting older I am starting to enjoy it.

Thank you @bookmarked @librofm and @recordedbooks for the complimentary DRC & bookseller’s ALC.

This book alternates between two perspectives: Hannah, a Jewish prisoner in Theresienstadt, and Hilde, Hannah’s former childhood friend who is now working for the Nazi cause.

One of the things I love most about historical fiction is how it always teaches me something new, and this book was no exception. Before reading it, I knew very little about Theresienstadt. What always shocks me about this time period is how easily people were swayed by propaganda. The story does an incredible job illustrating how thousands of people were led to the ghetto without resistance, simply because they believed the lies they were told. As with any historical fiction, I strongly recommend reading the author’s note at the end for even more insight.

The beginning of the book felt a bit slow for me, but on the flip side, the ending seemed rushed - especially with the sudden jump to an epilogue set many years later. Also, while I did enjoy the book, I found myself thinking afterward that Hilde’s point of view wasn’t really necessary to the overall story imo.

Overall, this was a solid read that I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. It’s both educational and emotional, and it leaves you with a lot to think about. Plus, Cassandra Campbell’s narration was excellent.

This story is difficult to read because of the total disregard for human beings but it is also uplifting because of the resilience of the population at the camp. The camp created a cultural center with plays, music and art that kept hope alive for the prisoners. The story is relevant today and is one that should be read.
4.5 Stars

🎵Queue music from Brundibar...
~By Hans Krása (recomposed in 1942) for Terezin and Theresienstadt

“It was NEVER not that bad.”

I feel very honored and humbled to share my review of The Girls of the Glimmer Factory with you today, as the world recognizes the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, honoring the six MILLION lives that perished during the Holocaust. I hope that everyone will light a candle, read out a name, visit a memorial, or seek more info in remembrance.

Firstly, The Girls of the Glimmer Factory is a GREAT STORY. Coburn is a gifted, natural-born storyteller, as she adeptly weaves fact with fiction to share with the world what happened behind the gates of Theresienstadt, the ‘model Jewish ghetto’ in Terezin, just outside Prague. I could see the novel unfold before my eyes as if I were watching it on a movie screen, listening to the hauntingly beautiful music and grasping to understand languages not native to my ears, yet latching onto ones I did. No Holocaust story is an easy one to tell, nor should it be. Yet, through the dual POV of her characters Hannah and Hilde, Coburn has gracefully chronicled an emotionally compelling, evocative account of what happened from both sides.

Secondly, without nudging (or flat-out demanding), Coburn leads the reader to dig deeper into the narrative, to peel back the characters, and to seek out the intrinsic motivations behind them. The Girls of the Glimmer Factory begs the reader to ask hard questions, like:
1.) What makes a person good/bad?, 2.) Should we(do we) believe all we see/hear?, and
3.) Is seeing believing?

Thirdly, and without any spoilers, I must share that I am in awe of the meticulous research and written 'fact vs fiction' compiled at the novel’s end. I can truly say that I am blown away by every feeling, and I can see how this will make for a great book club book. Thank you to @jennifercoburnbooks, @suzyapprovedbooktours, and @NetGalley for my copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you for this Advance copy.

Jennifer Coburn’s latest novel is a poignant and gripping tale of survival, friendship, and resistance set against the harrowing backdrop of World War II. Through a dual-timeline narrative, the story follows childhood friends Hannah and Hilde as their lives take drastically different paths. Hilde, a German woman with aspirations of becoming a film producer, finds her dream entangled in the Nazi regime’s propaganda machine. Meanwhile, Hannah, a Jewish prisoner, courageously joins the resistance to sabotage the very film Hilde is tasked with creating.

When Hilde begins filming at the camp where Hannah is held captive, her perspective begins to shift. Driven by their past bond and her own moral awakening, Hilde risks everything to save Hannah. However, her defiance of the Nazi cause ultimately leads to devastating consequences.

While the novel’s themes of courage, loyalty, and sacrifice are beautifully explored, I found that the similarity between the protagonists’ names occasionally caused confusion, prompting me to reread certain passages for clarity.

I’ve been waiting with bated breath since the cover reveal was posted months ago! Now, it’s time to share this fantastic book. Let’s go!

As a historical fiction lover, I’m enthralled with the Holocaust. With each book, I learn more, am disgusted, emotional, disheartened, and cry for what these folks endured. Based on the true story, Theresienstadt was a Jewish ghetto, a one-way station to death camps, and was central to German propaganda.

I’m impressed with the amount of research it took to write this novel. By returning to a dark time, the author presents a moving story that comes to life between the pages. Told in dual POV, Hannah is a prisoner at the camp, and Hilde works for the Reich. The story presents both sides of a warped coin by reading these opposite viewpoints. It features friendship and perseverance and provides the right amount of hope to keep you reading. It’s a story that will stay with me as a great portrayal of WWII historical fiction. Ultimately, the author shares why Hilda was chosen as a character in the book.

The Girls of the Glimmer Factory focuses on Hannah, a Jewish prisoner at the “model” ghetto of Theresienstadt, created to try and convince the world that the Nazis are treating Jewish people humanely. The other POV character is Hilde, who is still a true believer, and who happens to want to make a propaganda film set in Theresienstadt. The author manages to make this despicable character not only believable, but even empathetic, someone who makes us wonder how we ourselves would behave in the face of complete authoritarian rule and the resultant ignoring of all facts detrimental to the ruling government.

This novel should be required reading for Americans right now, as we see the incoming administration already making it clear that they have no compunction about twisting facts to suit their selfish power-hungry purposes. And as many of our allies in countries around the world once again embrace authoritarianism, we readers can hopefully learn timely lessons from the dreadful history of the German Nazi Party, with its state-sponsored alternate reality.

Oh my, this book was a very heavy and difficult read. I usually enjoy reading historical fiction set during World War II, but this one was just so heartbreaking. I appreciate how much research and details Coburn included in this book. I will admit that before reading this book, I knew very little about the Czech Jewish ghettos. The horror of this time never ceases to shock and sadden me, so I am grateful to the author for shining a brighter light on this lesser known aspect of WWII. However, I found the book to be too overwhelming, both in detail and length. I think my reserved enjoyment is due to the fact that I read this book at the wrong time and would probably reread it in the future to really absorb all that the author includes.

Special thanks to Netgalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and the author for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this cover but when it came time to pick it up, I wasn’t sure if it would seem too much like the world we live in. While it is, I wasn’t tainted by the outside world.

This really was the book I didn’t know I needed to read. Hannah and Hilde are on opposite sides of the war, but I was equally intrigued by both of them and their motives. How they changed, adapted, and grew during the story.

Old friends set on a collision course. They both have the same objective but are on opposite sides of the war.

Hilde really gave me a moments pause to think about what is real. More than 80 years later, there are many things to take away from this.

It’s thought provoking and a great choice for a book club. So many discussion points. The book lives up to its great cover.

A note from me. The eerie parallel from misinformation in an under informed time compared to now. I never thought misinformation could run so rampant when so much is at our fingertips. To paraphrase the infamous quote. Those that don’t learn history are doomed to repeat it.

This is an interesting view of the holocaust, and one I haven't read before. I loved the duel story of Hannah and Hilde and Coburn wove fiction with history perfectly. Highly recommend!

Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark for allowing me to read and review The Girls of the Glimmer Factory, a novel, by Jennifer Coburn on NetGalley for an honest review.

Published: 01/28/25
Stars: 3.5

Another angle of World War II that I don't recall ever hearing about. Coburn writes carefully researched historical fiction, and this does not fail. I did find the book itself too long. The horrors were not diminished by the length, it was more of me trying to not push the facts aside and skim to the end.

I can't put my finger on the pulse of my disgust. The film depicting happy prisoners is nauseating. How many books must be written for us not to forget, not to fall for propaganda, and to point out countless acts of cruelty. I suppose in the recesses of my mind I knew things like this happened, however this book made it real.

I do recommend this. I think for younger readers guidance should be given. I'm a seasoned reader and wanted someone to hold my hand through the story and even now I'm tearing up remembering.