"Six million Jews and five million other people murdered because Hitler deemed them unworthy of life...it happened. And we must make sure it never happens again."

I have read hundreds of WWll historical fiction novels but none seems so currently the most important as The Girls of the Glimmer Factory, by the best in this genre, author Jennifer Coburn.

With minute detail this writer crafts the horrific story of Theresienstadt, a Nazi camp used for slave labor in their factories. The Ministry of Enlightenment and Propaganda, yes this existed, planned to use the camp for a documentary, Hitler Gives A City To The Jews, for their lies to the world that the Jews were being treated well. Never mind that it held 155,000 prisoners, 88,000 sent to the death camps, and 35,440 died of starvation and disease.

Hannah and Hilde were childhood friends. Hannah was sent to the camp. Hilde became a Nazi wanna be film maker. Hannah was resilient. Hilde was narcissistic. When they meet again one thinks she's free but the other knows her heart is freer.

Needless to say, there are many devastating heartbreaking moments in this book. But there are also astonishing moments of bravery, kindness, and generosity in the face of despicable cruelty. It will leave you feeling a bit uncomfortable knowing that Hitler's "fake news" is still thriving in our modern world. Thankfully, this writer knows there's power in keeping the truth alive.

I received a free copy of this book from #sourcebooks via #NetGalley for a fair & honest review. All opinions are my own

Courtesy of Sourcebooks Landmark and Netgalley, I received the ARC of The Girls of the Glimmer Factory by Jennifer Coburn. This well researched historical WWII novel covers the events dealing with the Theresienstadt concentration camp from the viewpoints of two young women who were childhood friends. Hilde chose to be part of the Nazi regime to further her personal interests, oblivious to the implications of that ideology. Hannah is transported to the camp and endures the horrible conditions there, eventually working with the resistance movement, while creating the fake atmosphere to be shown to the Red Cross investigators, as she crosses paths with Hilde. Emotionally told, this story reminds us to never forget the atrocities of the Nazis.

Compelling, with detailed descriptions to immerse the reader. Weaves together the stories of two young women, on very different sides of the Holocaust in a gripping narrative. The characters are fully realized, if not always very likeable.

The Girls of the Glimmer Factory by Jennifer Coburn
This is a phenomenal WWII novel! I love to learn through reading and Jennifer Coburn does not disappoint.
Two friends, very different paths and one destiny. The two, Hilde and Hannah, childhood friends exist on different sides of the war, one trapped in a Jewish concentration camp and the other climbing her way up through the ranks of the Reich. Hannah, a hero for the children in the camp, Hilde an aspiring film maker trying to prove herself and justify the horror with complete ignorance.
This story is so real and powerful, so sad and it gives the reader a new perspective with two views. This wonderful book made me mad – for the pain and pure hell that existed for Jews and mad that so many Germans let themselves be led in complete ignorance, participating in such horrific tragedy. I really enjoyed the experience with this story.
So real and raw, I connected with the characters, the descriptions were painful and real. Hannah, betrayed in so many ways, was my hero!
I would like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to review an ARC of this book. It was a phenomenal experience.
On a side note, the German terms in the story were distracting for me as a reader but I purchased the audiobook and it was a phenomenal game changer, I was able to better immerse myself in the story and not fret about pronouncing or finding meaning in the unfamiliar terms.
5/5

Jennifer Coburn's writing style never fails to draw me in and keep me enthralled in the stories she writes. That they are based on true events brings to light the horrors of one of the most horrific times in modern history. Well-written, informative, compassionate, and showing both the incredible strength and the darkness of human nature this novel will bring you to tears and yet also inspire you to be better, do better, and never forget.

Another powerful historical fiction story by this author, one that showed me another piece of history I'd not heard about before... Theresienstadt, one of the Nazi camps occasionally used as a "model" for tours by the Red Cross and others. Most of the story is from Hannah's POV, a young Jewish woman in Theresienstadt, and some of the story is told from her old childhood German friend, Hilde's POV.
The story is based on many real people and real situations, As horrific as the reality of the Nazi Concentration Camps is, the story also reflects the spirit, tenacity, and bonds that kept the prisoners of war going. Their determination is reflected well in this important historical fiction read.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early read. This story started out a little slow, but picked up as you read it. Overall, a solid read.

After missing her opportunity to escape to Palestine, Hannah and her grandfather had been taken prisoner to the model ghetto, Theresienstadt. The Nazi’s planned to use this ghetto for propaganda purposes to convince the world that the Jewish people were living well. But Hannah is living anything but a model life. Hilde, a Nazi supporter is helping the cause by assisting in making these propaganda movies.

Unpopular opinion alert, I did read a ARC, so the final book could have been different. Unfortunately, on paper, this book should have worked for me, but I struggled with it. The dual POV had little to do with each other until very late in the book. I struggled with Hilde’s POV most of the book as she is pretty unlikable. This is also a long slow book with not a lot going on. There were many instances that could have been used to rise the stakes, but were glossed over or resolved easily. This appears to be more play driven that character development. I did enjoy learning yet another view point of WW2, but this one will not be one I return to. I’m

I very much appreciated the offer to download this particular book. I really enjoyed the premise as I love reading historical fiction especially stories taking place during World War II when possible. I appreciate the opportunity from NetGalley to have an early look at stories such as this thank you so much.

I found this quite slow to start, but I flew through the second half of the book.

It was informative and heart breaking. I really enjoyed the characters & the resistance. I didn't know much about the Theresienstadt ghetto before reading this and it was certainly eye opening.

I would have liked some more closure on what happened with Hilde at the end.

Huge thanks to NetGalley & Sourcebooks Landmark for an advance copy!

This story presents the contrasting viewpoints of two German women living through World War Two and the Holocaust.

Twenty-year-old Hilde Kramer, naive and desperate after her husband's death, strives to serve the Reich. She believes Germany is winning the war and that a bright future awaits.

Hannah, a young Jewish girl in Prague, faces a harsh reality. Her family secures travel papers to Palestine, but when Hannah gets sick, her grandmother takes her place. Later,
Hannah and her grandfather find themselves prisoners in a labour camp. The emotional burden and constant fear take a toll on Hannah, who tries to convince herself the war will soon end. Her maturity develops as she confronts the brutal truth.

The story is emotionally heavy, exposing the horrors endured by Jewish people and many others during the Holocaust. The initial naivity of the characters is frustrating as they don’t understand the depth of the severity of the situation. I was impressed by the author’s writing. The story reflects the immense amount of time and effort invested into thorough research and writing vivid historical details.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmarks. I recommend this book to anyone who might be interested in the events surrounding World War Two, as it offers an emotionally-charged fictional perspective through the eyes of young women.

I had previously read the Cradles of the Reich by this author and decided to give this book a read. We first met Hilda in the Cradles of the Reich, this is a continuation of her story as a Nazi enthusiast. The other main character is Hannah whose family was torn apart trying to escape the occupied territory of Prague.
With any story, you have an introduction to characters and the author did a good job of setting up the story. I skimmed through most of the mid section as there was nothing that held my attention nor sparked my interest.. 3/4 of the way into the book it began to become more interesting and I am glad I persevered. The story really came together, and I became more invested in the characters. Unfortunately, it sped up so quickly that I felt the end was very rushed. I am happy there was an epilogue, but still a lot of questions unanswered I appreciate the author’s notes and her research.
If you are a person who enjoys historical fiction and stories about WW II. I think you would enjoy this book. I seem to always learn something new about that time I never knew before. 3.5 stars
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Both a sad but yet interesting heart felt story of the Nazi created Theresienstadt, which was used basically as their ghetto for creating propaganda films and Red Cross Inspections.

I loved that the story was so descriptive and that the author actually set foot on the grounds of the former ghetto and explored the different scenes, the artwork that was mentioned and the town of Terezin.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jennifer Coburn and Sourcebooks Landmark publishing for this e-arc book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the author’s second historical novel, following Cradles of the Reich, which was just as deeply moving and grounded in historical fact. Like its predecessor, this novel offers an intensely emotional and thoroughly researched portrayal of life in a Jewish ghetto camp during World War II.

The book immerses readers in the harrowing reality of life in the Theresienstadt ghetto, where Jews were dehumanized, starved, and subjected to unspeakable horrors. It’s difficult to come to terms with the fact that such atrocities occurred—and that they could very well happen again if we forget the lessons of history.

At the heart of the story are two childhood friends, Hannah and Hilde. Hannah, a Jewish girl, and Hilde, a German, had once been inseparable. But as the war escalated, their lives took starkly different paths. After Hannah and her grandfather (Opa) were sent to Theresienstadt, her grandfather, believing they had moved to a peaceful lakeside cottage, realized far too late the horrifying truth. Unable to join them, Hannah's parents and other family members managed to escape, leaving her and her grandfather to endure the camp’s horrors.

Meanwhile, Hilde, a German girl steeped in Nazi ideology, believed the propaganda that Jews were the source of all Germany's ills. She was cold-hearted and self-serving, willing to do anything to get ahead, and her lack of empathy for those suffering was chilling.

Within Theresienstadt, many Jewish prisoners were forced to work in the glimmer factory, just to survive. Despite the horrific conditions, the ghetto became home to a community of talented individuals—musicians, teachers, artists—who continued to create, entertain, and educate the children who still had hope.

The author’s meticulous research is evident throughout the book, and at the end, there’s a section detailing the sources and interviews that shaped the story. I appreciate how thoroughly the author has woven historical facts into this narrative, making it an incredibly immersive and thought-provoking read.

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The Girls of the Glimmer Factory by Jennifer Coburn is a historical fiction book, taking place in Theresienstadt during World War II. Ms. Coburn is a published author and writer of historical fiction and non-fiction books and articles

Hannah Kaufman is a Jewish prisoner in Theresienstadt, a model ghetto used for propaganda purposes. The plan is to make a movie, showing the world how great the Jewish people are living in the camps.

Hilde Kramer is an aspiring filmmaker and a true believer in the Nazi movement. She joins the Reich Ministry of Enlightenment and Propaganda to make a name for herself by creating a documentary in Theresienstadt.

One of the more disturbing aspects of The Girls of the Glimmer Factory by Jennifer Coburn is how the German Jews, a patriotic bunch, refused to believe that their country had left them. Contrary to reality they truly believed that the Nazi Party is simply resettling them.

Theresienstadt was supposed to be a model camp and managed to pull the wool over the eyes of the world, which wanted to believe their lies. The residents of the camp, still being worked to death, were famous musicians, artists, and members of academia who managed to bring to life a vibrant cultural scene.
regardless of its status as a “model camp”, life there was still hellish.

While the book started slowly, I thought the insight into the life at Theresienstadt were well written. And while I certainly didn’t connect with Hilde, her character study is very interesting, while Hannah’s character seemed more distant. I just wish there was more about the effects of misinformation, disinformation, and propaganda on the German people and the world at large, Hilde’s story was the perfect vehicle for that.

The book is told through the alternating point of view of Hannah and Hilde. Hannah stuck in the camp, is only there because her grandfather refused to leave while they had the chance. Hilde is a fanatic which will stop at nothing until she succeeds.

I still have only a vague idea of what the “glimmer factory” really is. It’s not very important to the story, but it’s in the title. As with many other historical fiction books, I enjoyed the author’s notes of what was history, and what was fiction.

The Girls of Glimmer Factory
Author Jennifer Coburn

Thank you, @suzyapprovedbooktours, @jennifercoburnbooks, @bookmarked, and @netgalley, for my #gifted copy of this phenomenal historical fiction read. I read and learned so much from Jennifer's historical fiction novel, Cradles of the Reich, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read another novel based on a true story during WWII.

Two different women leading wildly different lives are brought together during a time in WWII that many have never even learned about. Beautifully researched and inspired by the Nazi "show camp," this heartbreaking but compelling novel begins with Hannah, a young woman who becomes imprisoned with her grandfather at Theresienstadt, a "model camp" set up by the Nazis to film propaganda films to convince the world that the Jewish people were being treated well. Hilde, a childhood friend of Hannah's, has her own motives and wants to film a documentary about the model camp and will do anything in her power to become acquainted with those who can help her along the way. But when the two collide at Theresienstadt, their motives do not follow the same path.

The Girls of Glimmer Factory refers to the mica that the young women in the "model camp" "mined" with their bare hands, is a truly unique story of friendship and the dangers of propaganda as well as an eye- opening dive into yet another one of WWII"s lesser known evils. The Associated Press is quotes saying that Jennifer Coburn sets "a high bar for historical fiction," and I could not agree more!

This is the second historical by this author. Cradles of the Reich was a heartbreaking story based on facts as is this book.

This book was so well researched and takes you inside a Jewish ghetto camp where humans were treated like animals. Starved and many horrors facing them daily. It's heartbreaking to know these things happened and very possibly could happen again.

Hannah and Hilde had been best friends in younger years. Hannah was Jewish and Hilde a German.

Hannah and her grandfather/Opa were sent to Theresienstadt. Her grandpa thought they bought a cottage by the lake. It was a ghetto camp for the Jews. Hannah's parents, brother, and grandmother, had fled before they could be taken from their home. Hannah was sick with smallpox and could not go so her grandpa took care of her.

Hilde was a German who thought the Jews were awful and dirty. The soul reason for all that was wrong with Germany. That was what she had been taught and she believed it. She had no empathy for the Jewish people. She was a very smug young lady. She didn't have high standards or morals either. She did whatever it took to get what she wanted.

Hannah and many Jews were in the Theresienstadt ghetto. Many worked in the glimmer factory. Everyone had a job. They had to have to survive. This place was horrible but the prisoners did the best with what they had. Many very smart and talented people were here. From musicians to teachers. They entertained and did what they could to teach the younger children.

Not many of the hundreds of thousands sent to this camp lived. Some did though and went on to tell the world what really happened here. Despite the propaganda film made the truth would be told.

This book is so well researched and at the end you can read exactly what the author did to gain the information used in this novel. The people she spoke with. The places she visited. I love a well researched novel and this one is exceptionally done.

This book is so heartbreaking and open. It made me shed many many tears. It is very hard to believe that not that long ago these things happened. Let us please remember and not let it happen again.

Thank you #NetGalley, #SourcebooksLandmark, for this ARC.

Five big stars.

A WWII story told from two very different POVs. Hilde is a 20 year old widow that supports the Reich while trying to be a filmmaker. Her childhood friend, Hannah, is taken to a Jewish Ghetto named Theresienstadth which the nazis have created as an illusion to pass inspectionst from the Red Cross and to use to make propaganda films showing how well the Jews are treated at Hitlers Gift for the Jews. The camp was hell with little food, bed bugs and disease. The Jews found beauty in the arts, using plays and music to survive.

This was a well researched book and I learned more about the events of WWII. I can never fully imagine how terrible life was in the camps. The girls in the glimmer factory were the girls who got assigned to work splitting mica by hand. Hilde was an unlikable character but I was surprised by her in the end. It was a little slow moving but it’s definitely worth a read if you enjoy historical fiction.

The Girls of the Glimmer Factory tells the story of Theresienstadt, the Nazis “model” ghetto used during World War II to prevent the world from discovering the true horrors of the Holocaust. It was this encampment that Red Cross workers were shown, and even then, everything was a farce.

Told in two different points of view, we get a real picture of Jewish and gentile life in both the Czech Republic and Germany during the war. Jennifer Coburn holds nothing back with her two protagonists who show us life inside a Nazi concentration camp and life working for the Reich.

Hannah Kaufman’s family saw the writing on the wall and fled Berlin for Prague; only their troubles followed them. Seeing Nazi propaganda machine take root in Prague, the family made plans to flee again, this time to Palestine. Only not everything goes to plan, and Hannah and her grandfather Oskar end up as prisoners in Theresienstadt. Though considered a transit camp, make no mistake the Jews suffered here as well, living in fear of being sent east. Like many Jews, Hannah rebelled and did what she could to save lives and share the truth of what was really happening in these “work camps”.

Hilde has always wanted to be a star, since performing in plays at school as a child. When her husband is killed in action, she flees her mother in laws home to head back to the city to make her dreams come true. Working for the Reich is not exactly what she expected and there are certain “tradeoffs” expected of her to advance, but Hilde is willing to do it to get what she wants. When she finally has a chance to help make a documentary at Theresienstadt, this Nazi sympathizer is ready to show the world how generous Hitler is to the Jew’s with this camp---only when she arrives and discovers her childhood friend, she is surprised to understand what “the final solution” actually entails.

Coburn’s newest novel doesn’t shy away from the uncomfortable and ugly truths of antisemitism and war. This is both a story of perseverance and evil and at times is hard to read but should be told. If you are a fan of historical fiction, add this one to your list.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and of course the author Jennifer Coburn for the advanced copy of the book. The Girls of Glimmer Factory is out on now. All opinions are my own.

The Girls of the Glimmer Factory by Jennifer Coburn is a sad tale that reflects on friendship and the dangers of propaganda through the eyes of two very different young women, Hannah and Hilde.
Hannah is a young Jewish woman who moved to Czechoslovakia with her family as they feared for their future in a Germany under Nazi policy, Unfortunately the danger followed them with the occupation of ther new home and while several family members were able to flee to Palestine Hannah and her Grandfather were forced to stay behind, a twist of fate that would see them both ending up at Theresienstadt, a model ghetto camp used by the Nazis for propaganda purposes and to distract inspectors from organisations like the Red Cross, Depicted as a relatively luxurious place where the Jewish inmates were free to work in the arts and had plenty to eat and comfortable lodgings, the reality was somewhat different and far less pleasant. Survival was no mean feat and a determined Resistance within the camp sought to not only help the people trapped inside but also to alert the outside world about what was really going on within camp walls. Hannah, against her better judgement finds herself working with this resistance when a chance encounter with an almost forgotten childhood friend gives her an opportunity she never dreamed of
Hilde is a proud German woman, vocal in her support of the Reich and now working in the Ministry of Enlightenment and Propaganda. She dreams of making a name for herself and being allowed to create films of her own and is willing to do almost anything it takes to get what she wants When she is given the job of assisting on a film being shot in Theresienstadt she sees it as her big break, especially when she realises that her childhood friend Hannah is an inmate.
This is a powerful story of two very different but equally determined women. The characterisation is top notch, and I was impressed that even with such a fundamentally unlikeable character as Hilde there were moments where the author had me feeling sorry for her. I was fascinated by how differently the two women viewed their friendship and how similar they were in many ways despite their very different experiences. The depiction of life inside the camp is unflinching and the vivid descriptions really made the book an immersive experience. I did feel like the pacing was a little off, especially when it came to the ending of the book, it almost felt like there was a chapter missing between the final chapter and the epilogue but that being said the overall storytelling absolutely kept me engaged.
There is an excellent Author's notes section at the end of the book which I highly recommend reading, not just because she clarifies where details have been amended for dramatic effect but because it gives an insight into the amount of work and research that went into creating this book, and just why it means so much to the author.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.