Based on the real story of Theresienstadt, this fictional work tells the story of a propaganda film intended to make an internment camp look like a desirable gift, courtesy of Herr Hitler. The residents know what life in this camp and its sister camps are like, and plan to disrupt the filming so they can tell the real story of the death camps.

The Girls of the Glimmer Factory is a brave tale of resistance, friendship and the dangers of propaganda. It is based on the real story of Theresienstadt where the Nazi’s filmed movies about the “proper” treatment of the Jewish population. The story follows Hannah, a young Jewish woman, who is a prisoner at Theresienstadt an who will help resistance members derail their plans of filming propaganda films and the deportation of prisoners. The story also follows Hilde who is a support of the Nazi regime and dreams to work as a filmmaker to help the Reich with their propaganda films.

This story is inspiring and to see two sides of it was amazing. I have never learned of the Theresienstadt ghetto in Czechoslovakia and I think it is important to understand that it was what prevented the Red Cross from investigating Auschwitz. Hannah is a beckon of hope and Hilde is blinded by faith in a government who she believes is the true cause.

Though set in the past, this story is relevant today and is important to read.

Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read this novel for an honest review, and thank you to NetGalley for providing the ebook.

Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and Jennifer Coburn for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Girls of the Glimmer Factory.
This is a very emotional and heart wrenching story taking place during World War II describing a situation I knew little about-quite the education I got through reading this!
The main setting is Theresienstadt which portrayed the Jewish ghetto located here as a model of a Jewish community run by the Nazis with arts, education, music and a spa-like environment. A film was being made to show the world that Hitler was providing for the Jewish population and all other information was incorrect. This is the start of “fake news” that continues to thrive today. I won’t get political but there are strong parallels to our recent election.
Our main characters, Hannah and Hilde grew up together and were close friends. They end up on opposite ends-one filming, one living it. This is edge of your seat drama of their friendship, trust and honesty. Hannah is very close to her family and cares deeply about her culture. Hilda’s priorities are advancing in the Hitler regime rather selfishly. Where do our priorities stand? I shed a few tears over these characters and became totally immersed in their stories. I have been thinking about them and their decisions ever since I finished reading. A true sign of a five star read- loved it!

I would definitely recommend this book.

From the goodreads description: From the author of Cradles of the Reich comes a poignant and inspiring tale of resistance, friendship, and the dangers of propaganda, based on the real story of Theresienstadt, for fans of The Forest of Vanishing Stars and The German Wife.

I've read Cradle of the Reich and The Forest of Vanishing Stars, and I agree that if you read those books and liked them, you will like this book.

One of the reasons I recommend this book is I've read books based on other concentration camps before, but I've never read one about Theresienstadt. Jennifer does her research. Her writeup at the end of the book with all of her research is a worthwhile read as well as the book.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley

We meet Hilde and Hannah.

Hilde's husband was killed in the war and is now working for a film crew who will be making a propaganda film about Theresienstadt - a Nazi camp that spouts a wonderful, peaceful city for the Jewish people and where they are treated well.

In reality, it is a Ghetto, a work camp, and a prison that was a a stopover before being sent to death camps.

Hannah is a prisoner in Theresienstadt and tries to thwart the efforts of the Germans since she is living in squalor, working for nothing, and eating watered down soup for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

When Hilde arrives, she sees her friend Hannah.

Will friendship win out to thwart the fake news about the camp or will the Nazi’s lies and deception win?

Hannah was a very likable character whereas Hilde was not. Hilde was self centered - Hannah suffered a lot and had compassion.

THE GIRLS OF THE GLIMMER FACTORY brings to light the horrors of this misrepresented camp but focuses on courage, friendships, and the will to live.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book is very meaningful to me. Two years ago, while in the Czech Republic for a Christmas market river cruise land tour, my husband and I chose to do a tour of the Terezin fortress and the ghetto museum. I reflected on that visit as I read this novel. It was so heartbreaking. A wonderfully written story about how friendship and love can carry people through horrific situations. It is also the tale of how brainwashing can turn kind people into monsters. We see two sides of the coin here. On one side is Hannah, a kind young Jewish woman separated from most of her family during WWII, taken to the Terezin camp. On the other is Hilde, a childhood friend of Hannah’s from Germany who has become a Nazi. In the beginning I wanted to like Hilde. Something about the way she was characterized at the start made me try liking her. The more I got to know her, I realized she was selfish and brainwashed. Her desire to have a film career had her making a decision to help create propaganda for the Nazis to display to the world how “terrible” Jewish people are and how good they have it at these “camps” like Terezin. The Nazis put on a display for the Red Cross to show them all of the wonderful things that Terezin was for its inhabitants. In reality, it was a cruel place bringing despair, sickness, and starvation to the people. the author, Jennifer Coburn describes it all with just a perfect amount of details to make you feel like you are there. This is the second book I read from her and I thoroughly enjoyed both. After reading her note at the end of the book I saw just how much research she did to really be as accurate as she could and tell a good story that needs to be shared with the world.

I really enjoyed Jennifer’s book the Cradels of the Reich as it explored an interesting part of WWII that I wasn’t familiar with. I have recently read a few books which featured Theresienstadt, known as them model camp and a place where the arts thrived. I was excited to see that Jennifer’s latest offering was set there. It didn’t disappoint.

Told from the dual points of views of Hannah and Hilde. Childhood friends who end up on opposite sides of the fence. Hannah is Jewish who fled Germany for the Czech Republic. Her story gives us good insight into what it was actually like to live in the ghetto. Hilde is doing her best to be a model citizen. I found it fascinating to see behind the scenes of how propaganda films were made, and how Germans were manipulated into believing they were doing the right thing at the time. Both women were quite complex and well developed. I felt for them both at times, however, it was a lot harder with Hilde at times.

Another well-researched novel, I loved the attention to detail such as the shared wedding dress that was passed on between women in the camp. I loved the spirit of resistance that was still present despite the circumstances. People helped each other out, looked after babies and banded together to make concerts. It seemed a strange thing to do but the quote ‘joys is the greatest act of resistance’ really brought home why. The glimmer factory in the title refers to the mica factory, I would have liked it to have played more of a role in the a risky story. I enjoyed the big finish and the detailed authors notes. A novel of bravery, humanity, friendship and betrayal.

This book is based on the real life existence of Theresienstadt, a ghetto established in WWII that served several functions, including for German propaganda. Hannah becomes a Jewish prisoner in this ghetto, and spends years learning more about the life in the ghetto, including resistance efforts, but also the Nazi plans to create a film of life in the ghetto to show the Jewish people living a wonderful and sometimes extravagant life there.

In a secondary storyline, Hilde is a Nazi believer, and gets a job in the office that is filming the propaganda films. She gets the assignment to help create the film about the Jewish life in the ghetto city, and she is determined to deliver Hitler's plan to show how well the Jews are being treated.

This story deals with the tough topics of the Jewish containment, and it was interesting to learn about this establishment.

This heartbreakingly beautiful story follows Hannah, a Jewish prisoner at Theresienstadt, a model ghetto where the Nazis plan to make a propaganda film to convince the world that the Jewish people are living well in the camps. She and some of her fellow prisoners fight to find ways to let the truth out but the International Red Cross is taken in by the staged performance during their visit and doesn't bother to look beneath the facade to find the truth about the prisoner's conditions. Meanwhile, the story also follows a young woman trying to work her way up in the Nazi organization. The paths of the two young women living very different lives crosses and the story is spellbinding. I highly recommend this wonderfully written book.

As I had read The Cradles of the Reich by Jennifer Coburn, I was excited to receive an advanced copy of her new book, The Girls Of The Glimmer Factory through NetGalley. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. I received no compensation. The events portrayed are based upon historical events when Hitler and the Third Reich imprisoned and murdered thousands of Jews.

The story opens with a family dinner as Hannah’s family are leaving their home to relocate to Palestine the next day. However, Hannah becomes ill, causing a last minute change of plans to flee their home in 1940 Prague. Hanna’s grandmother takes Hannah’s place leaving Oskar,her grandfather behind temporarily until plans and proper travel papers could be secured. So the story of Oskar and Hannah begins.

I found all the characters to be layered and believable. I did not care for Hilde, Hannah’s childhood friend at first; but somehow, as the story progressed, I began to see her through a different lens.
Hannah’s grandfather was a rock in his own way, trying to be cheerful and positive while the events around them were so horrible it was beyond comprehension.

There is so much to take in and absorb that I found I couldn’t read this book piece meal in short periods. I needed time to read and slowly digest what I had read as all of the characters were vital to the story even the minor ones.

To be honest, this book scared me. There are forces in play right now if left unchecked…could it happen again?

I encourage you to read all the extras at the end of the book. Food for thought of what was just read. The Girls Of The Glimmer Factory would be an excellent bookclub selection.

A thought provoking ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Just about anyone can go viral with anything these days.

We’ve all heard the term ‘fake news.’

Please tell me you don’t believe everything you see or hear!

Even though we now share information differently than we did 80+ years ago, the dangers of misinformation and propaganda are still the same. Author Jennifer Coburn’s pleas to wisely navigate the myriad of information we’re bombarded with daily, stem from her time spent visiting the site of a former ‘glimmer factory’ - Terezin, or, as the Nazis called it, Theresienstadt.

Pared down to its main objective, The Glimmer Factory, exposes the Nazi strategy of deception at Terezin.

All was not glitter and glam at the ‘spa resort’ in, what is now, the Czech Republic. and Coburn warns that the same strategy that was utilized to hoodwink Red Cross officials in the 1940s is being utilized today. Yes, ‘spa visitors’ created more than 5,000 pieces of visual art: sketches, paintings, sculptures, and dolls. Yes, there were daily musical performances, like Verdi’s Requiem. Yes, there were also theatre, readings, and lectures. After all, the majority of the 'visitors' were prominent and talented Jews.

The truth is that Terezin was designed to deceive the world about the true nature of the ‘final solution.’ It was curated after reports leaking the true conditions and functions of the death camps sparked concern and the Red Cross put pressure on the Nazis to inspect. A plan was hatched to present it as a model ghetto by masking the true purpose and conditions. The showcase of cultural activity was orchestrated to discredit accusations of maltreatment. It worked; the Red Cross was duped. So was the rest of the world. Heck, I didn’t even know about it and I’ve read many books with a Holocaust focus.

Coburn’s novel is set in this ‘glimmer factory’ and showcases two women, a Jewish prisoner and an ambitious filmmaker, who were once childhood friends. Hannah Kaufman is willing to risk it all to show the world the truth about Terezin. Coincidentally, this is Hilde Kramer’s objective, too. She works for the Reich Ministry of Enlightenment and Propaganda and has been sent with a film crew to renew confidence in Hitler’s plans for the Jews. When they reunite they mutually hope to use their connection to further their cause. The trouble is, they aren’t on the same track, going the same direction. Will they be able to help each other survive? Will their friendship carry them through even the most harrowing times?

This gripping historical fiction, with an absolutely PERFECT title, that explores both sides of the Nazi oppression is not to be missed. I"m still thinking about it days later and I'm much more suspicious of the 'glitter.'

“One cannot be part of such an evil movement without great personal cost in the end.”

“Oppressors are the least creative people in the world. They constantly borrow one another’s ideas, and if we learn the early warning signs, we are better equipped to defeat them.”

I was gifted this copy by Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley. I read a lot of WWII historical fiction, but this was the first I've read that really focuses on the Theresienstadt camp in Czechoslovakia that was used to show the Red Cross that that the Jewish people were fine under Nazi occupation. This was a ruse of course, but it stopped the Red Cross inspectors from going to look at other camps such as Auschwitz where it would've been harder for the Nazis to hide what they were doing. This book focuses on Hannah and Hilde --one woman a Jew and one a staunch supporter of the Reich as they both use what they have available to survive in this world.

Hannah is a prisoner in the Jewish Ghetto of Theresienstadt. Hilde is a fervent member of the party and when she hears that the Nazis are planning a propaganda film featuring Theresienstadt, she intends to be part of it. Hannah and Hilde were childhood friends but their paths are about to cross again.
This is the first time I had heard of this camp. It's fascinating that the Nazis faked a comfortable place for the Jews, even putting healthy people in the hospital beds. The book was very well written and kept me engrossed. Highly recommended

I have read a couple of books set in Theresienstadt, but I learnt so much from this book! While it’s conditions were not quite as dire as those in camps like Auschwitz, it was still a horrible place with so many atrocities committed and this book conveyed that horror so well. 4.5 stars out of 5 ⭐️

This novel based on real people and places is really good! Not only is it very interesting, but it definitely gets under your skin. I particularly enjoyed reading about ordinary people with their strengths and weaknesses. They are no heroes, they just strive to survive and unbelievably find inner strengths they did not know they had. The novel is very well researched and offers an unforgettable story. My second book by the author, both are impressive on a historical perspective. Highly recommended!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.

The Girls of the Glimmer Factory by Jennifer Coburn tells the inspiring story of the resilience of two childhood friends, torn apart by war and the Nazi occupation, who must do whatever is necessary to survive.
The backdrop of the story is the Theresienstadt, a “model camp” the Nazis used for propaganda films and Red Cross inspections. But it's really a ghetto where those that are sent to live there must endure horrible living situations and immense hunger and starvation.

This historical fiction novel follows two women.
A Jewish woman, named Hannah and a German woman, named Hilde. Hannah lives and works in the ghetto and Hilde gets involved with the Nazi cause of filming propaganda films hoping to make the ghetto look better than it really is and further her career. Once Hilde realizes her childhood friend Hannah lives there and is a Jewish prisoner things change. I loved the twists in this story. I literally could not stop reading.
I would have liked to learn more about the actual Glimmer Factory.
I always appreciate the Author's Note which gives important details of the author's research. I appreciated the author's impeccable research details.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark Publishing for an advanced readers copy for an honest review.

“The Girls of the Glimmer Factory” is a WWII historical fiction book by Jennifer Coburn. I have really mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, more historical fiction books about Theresienstadt are needed - and this book, I felt, did a good job on describing both the propaganda of the camp and the realities. Living at Theresienstadt, like any other concentration camp, wasn’t a picnic. However, I never got a good sense of the different areas of the camp, more related to the jobs. Hannah went from translating texts to working in the “glimmer factory” but when was vague (not really necessary to the story, but suddenly she was there). I did like the Author’s note listing what was fictional and what was fact - and what sources she used (including visiting Theresienstadt). I think my biggest issue was that the pacing was uneven - the story started with a great opening and Hannah’s situation was presented - but it seemed like Hilde’s story was separate for most of the book - then there was the connection, but it felt like it was so late into the story that I kept the two women apart, even when they began working together. I also am not fond of the title of this book - while Hilde dreamed of her film being huge and Hannah worked with the mica, the title felt like an after thought - and seemed to promise more about the film than the experiences at the camp. Overall, I’d recommend people read this book - especially if they don’t know anything about Theresienstadt - I felt the historical parts of the camp were the strongest in the book.

Hauntingly beautiful story based on the real events that took place at Theresienstadt during World War II. A historical fiction on family, friendship, and Nazi propaganda--a timely novel that is a must read for 2025.

The first half of The Girls of the Glimmer Factory was slow-paced, leading me to consider setting it aside for something more engaging. However, I persisted, and I’m glad I did, as the second half of the book picked up significantly.

This historical fiction novel follows the lives of two women—one a Jewish woman and the other a German woman involved with the Nazis—against the backdrop of the Theresienstadt “model camp,” a site the Nazis used for propaganda films and Red Cross inspections. While the title may suggest a focus on the glimmer factory, the mentions of it are sparse and feel somewhat tangential to the main narrative. It seems as though the glimmer factory was added after the title was chosen, as the heart of the story lies in the examination of Nazi propaganda and the experiences within Theresienstadt.

Despite the slow start, I appreciated the insights I gained about this historical period, which is always rewarding in WWII historical fiction. However, I found it challenging to connect with many of the characters. Hilde, the German woman, was particularly well-written; I experienced a complex mix of emotions towards her, feeling both hatred and sympathy as I grappled with how she could become so indoctrinated by the Nazi regime.

In contrast, I felt the author kept Hannah's character at a distance, making it difficult to form a strong connection. Interestingly, I found myself relating more to her grandfather, whose story, although not central to the plot, piqued my interest and added depth to the narrative.

Ultimately, I’m glad I persevered through the book. While the title may be misleading, it offers valuable insights and a thought-provoking look at its themes. Don't judge this book by its title—it presents an important perspective on a challenging period in history.

This book was different than many of the books set in WWII. You often get one side of the other, but in this dual narration you get both. Two friends, one sent to the ghettos, but where the Nazis use propaganda to "show" how well the Jewish people have it. The other trying to move herself ahead in the Nazi regime. Jennifer Coburn does not disappoint, and she did not with The Girls of the Glimmer Factory. I loved this book, and I read it straight through.

Thank you to SourceBooks/Landmark for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

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