The Girls of the Glimmer Factory is a must-read historical fiction novel that shines a light on Theresienstadt, a Jewish prison camp located outside of Prague during WWII. The Nazis tried and were successful at ‘billing’ this as a spa-like community where one could see the water, read books, attend lectures, listen to music and attend concerts. They not only sold this pack of lies to unwitting Jews but to the public at large. Life at Theresienstadt was hard labor, filth, illness and starvation. The story tells of two childhood best friends who became separated because Hannah was a Jew. The German friends name was Hilde. Her family was loyal to the Reich. The girls had no idea why they couldn’t play any more. Hilde’s mother slammed the door in Hannah’s face one day when she came to play with Hilde.

The Girls of the Glimmer Factory is the second book I have read by Jennifer Coburn. The Girls of the Glimmer Factory started off a little slow for me but the pace picked up. The bulk of the story is told by Hannah. After sometime at Theresienstadt (which was said to be a model work camp where the Jews were treated well) Hilde arrives in order to make a film for the Nazi’s to show that the Jews aren’t treated so terribly. Hannah and Hilde end up meeting again at Theresienstadt.

Jennifer Coburn's extensive research is present throughout the story with its immense detail and wonderfully created characters. Ms. Coburn poignantly demonstrates the bonds of love and friendship as well as greed and man’s inhumanity to man. Most successfully, Ms. Coburn depicts the resilience of the human spirit which is woven throughout the story line.
I had never heard of Theresienstadt. I learned so much from this novel, and it is one that will stay with me for a long time. Well done. I am anxious to see what Ms. Coburn has in store for us next.

When you are done reading you must read the authors note where she states what was real and which parts were altered for the story. It is always interesting to see what facts the author has included in her story.

I would like to thank Ms. Coburn, Sourcebooks Landmark, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“Where there is music, it cannot be so terrible.”

I read Jennifer Coburn’s debut, Cradles of the Reich, and was fortunate enough to hear her surreal at the Tucson Festival of Books, so when I saw this on NetGalley, I immediately requested it. I did not realize this would have one of the same characters from the first book, because it is not listed as a sequel. It can certainly be read as a stand alone, although I would highly recommend reading both!

Coburn again brings an incredible amount of research to The Girls of the Glimmer Factory, highlighting a little-known event during WWII which was used as propaganda by the Nazis.

This is a chunky novel at just under 500 pages, but it reads much quicker than that because I was so invested in the story. I will continue to pick up what Coburn writes!

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25

What you’ll find:
- Dual POVs
- Juxtaposition of those inside a concentration camp with a clueless German girl wanting to work for the Reich
- Themes of hope and resilience

Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark for a digital copy through NetGalley.

Coburn’s second book is not less compelling and disquieting as her first one was.
After I finished this book I had to let it all soak in, the enormity of the story plus all the work and research Corburn did to produce another stunning novel.
I had no sympathy for Hilde and thought she deserved exactly the crop she produced with the seeds she planted.
Hannah’s character undergoes many transformations and had the tenacity to hang on.
My favorite characters were Oskar and Radek. I loved Oskar because he tried to be cheerful and have an optimistic countenance even in the face of denial.
Radek was a protector and I loved his parting words to Hannah, soulful and sorrowful though they were.
This novel is one that will stay with me for a long time.

Hannah is a Jewish slave laborer in the Terezin ghetto, while Hilde is a Nazi propaganda filmmaker. Before Kristallnacht, Hannah and Hilde were childhood friends in Munich. Their paths cross again when the Nazi regime creates a propaganda film.

This book is both compelling and profoundly horrifying. It is well-researched, and its poignancy was heightened for me after visiting the Terezin ghetto in the summer of 2024. Reading this book provides valuable insight into the Glimmer Factory and the Terezin ghetto.

I highly recommend this book. Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark Paperbacks and NetGalley for providing an early read in exchange for an honest review. This is another well-written, well-researched work that shares the important history of World War II and the horrors of the Holocaust. 5 Stars.

✨️The Girls of the Glimmer Factory by Jennifer Coburn is an emotional and inspiring novel based on the real story of Theresienstadt during World War II. It’s a powerful reminder that what we see or hear through media isn’t always the truth. The story follows two women. Hannah, a German Jew, is sent to Theresienstadt, a ghetto deceptively presented as a "model community" to the world. On the other hand, there’s Hilde, a German woman who believes in the Nazi cause and is eager to climb the ranks of the Reich. She seizes the chance to work on a propaganda film showcasing the ghetto.

The book is so well-researched and really highlights the incredible talent that existed within Theresienstadt. The world lost forever so many teachers, musicians, artists, and so much more. The fakeness the Nazis portrayed never fails to evoke anger and heartbreak in me, no matter how many books I read about the Holocaust. This one left me reflecting on humanity again.

The contrast between Hannah and Hilde is written so well. One woman is determined to expose the truth, and the other is focused on advancing herself no matter the cost. Propaganda may make some people comfortable, but at whose expense?✨️

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for this book.

I'm blown away by the amount of research and authentic detail Jennifer Coburn infuses into her novels, and The Girls of the Glimmer Factory is another prime example. Even if you think you've read everything you could possibly learn about World War 2 and the Holocaust, Coburn finds a unique angle to the topic, along with intriguing characters you really become invested in. I'd never given a thought to the production of Nazi propaganda videos, but I was instantly pulled into Hannah's story, and how it intertwined with that of her childhood friend Hilde. The book was perhaps a little long, and it is definitely hard to read about antisemitism in the context of our modern moment. But ultimately the narrative was so strong and compelling that I was hooked.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the complimentary eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Jennifer Coburn did it again with a very well-researched historical fiction book. It was a gripping read about Theresienstadt, one of the camps during WWII that created propaganda films. The films were shared with the public that the Jews were thriving in the camps. I wasn’t familiar with Theresienstadt so it was educational read for me. I liked how there were two different POVs. I did found it to be slow at the beginning, but I knew it would be worth it to continue. I’m glad that I did because it is a compelling book. It was tough at times to read because the propaganda on social media has been fueling the antisemitism that we are facing today.. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Just as Hannah is set to evacuate to Palestine with her family, she comes down smallpox, leaving her too sick to travel. Her grandfather stays behind with her, and the rest of her family goes ahead. Then, before they can join them, Hannah & her grandfather are sent to 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. Hannah joins a group of other young resistance members who are determined to disrupt the filming, and derail the deportations to the death camps in the east. Hannah's childhood friend Hilde however, has chosen a different path. She joined the Reich and is working to produce the films. She truly believes in the Nazi cause and hopes that the documentary they are producing will renew confidence in Hitler's plans for Jewish containment, as well as help to make a name for herself as a filmmaker.

What a timely book this was. Just reading about the lengths the Nazis went through to dupe the Red Cross as well as others that they were treating Jewish people so wonderfully, all while starving them and making them live and work in deplorable conditions disgusted me. Then don't even get me started on the lies they told about Auschwitz & the other death camps. I don't understand how anyone can read about the things that went on back then, and still to this day find them ok, or even worse, want to emulate them. This book will break your heart, but it is beautifully written, well researched, and it is something I think everyone should read.

Hannah is a young German-Jewish woman living with her family in Prague at the time of the Nazi occupation. Her parents have 4 visas to immigrate to Palestine, but then Hannah comes down with smallpox and her grandmother takes her place, leaving her and her grandfather. They are then interned in Theresienstadt. At the same time, Hilde, a German young woman finds out her husband has been killed in battle. Relocating to Berlin, she's determined to get a job with the Reich and ends up working for the Ministry of Propaganda in the film division.

The novel moves back and forth between Hannah's life in the ghetto and Hilde's ambition to work on the Nazi's film about Theresienstadt. At about the halfway point, we learn how the two are connected.

This is an incredibly well researched book. The author's notes at the end detail everything she did and everyone she spoke with to learn about life in Theresienstadt. I wanted to read this book because I hadn't read anything yet about this ghetto, which housed some of the most noted artists, musicians, and intellectuals in Europe who created a series of cultural events in the ghetto that helped people cope with the deprivation they were experiencing.

I'm rating this book a 4 because I felt that the author's need to balance chapters between Hilde and Hannah took away from the impact of the story. I would have introduced Hilde later, right before she ended up working on the film.

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC via NetGalley.

A beautifully written heartbreaker that follows Hilde, who has bought into the Nazi party and Hannah a Jewish teen who has been sent to Theresienstadt with her beloved grandfather. Make no mistake, the loathsome Hilde is not ideological- she is only interested in herself and she's determined to become a film maker. Hannah, on the other hand is doing everything possible to keep herself, her grandfather and her fellow prisoners alive even at risk to herself. The constrast between the two women could not be greater especially when they come face to face. No spoilers. It's Hannah whose resilience and determination that makes this so hard to read in spots. Coburn has created some images that are unforgettable in some instances for their horror as well as in other cases for their sweetness. Do not miss the afterword material. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I thought about skipping this (WWII novel overload) but I'm so glad I didn't- it's a cautionary tale and an important read. Highly recommend.

THE GIRLS OF THE GLIMMER FACTORY by Jennifer Coburn is a well-researched and gripping story set in Theresienstadt, a model ghetto in German-occupied Czechoslovakia during World War II. It housed Czech, Austrian and German Jews and was a waystation to the Nazi extermination camps. Theresienstadt was also used by the Germans for propaganda films to convince the world that the Jewish people were living well in the camps. Nothing could be further from the truth. Hannah Kaufman and her grandfather wind up in this settlement after being transported from Prague. They are forced to participate in a propaganda film, but Hannah and other people of the resistance, plot to secretly expose the horrible conditions and deportations to the death camps from the settlement. Hannah is shocked to see her childhood friend, Hilde on the filmmaking crew. Hilde is a firm believer in the Nazi cause and hopes her work for the Reich Ministry of Enlightenment and Propaganda will aid the Nazi plans to contain the Jews. Two childhood friends end up on opposite sides of the Nazi regime and the story is told from both their points of view. This is a haunting and heart-wrenching story that shows the courage, resilience and the will to survive of Jewish people imprisoned by the Nazis. Don’t miss the informative Author’s Note at the end. I highly recommend this excellent work of historical fiction and thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.

wow wow wow. this was an emotional and heartbreaking read. like most books tend to be of this time. it really got to me. and i was all in and couldnt stop thinking about it throughout. even afterwards ive gone on to read more about the camp and what similar things our real life humans had to go through at this time. and also the propaganda videos they dare to try and put out there. and sadly how many people fell for this misinformation seems highly appropriate even to what we are struggling with in todays society and that on its own is highly worrying.
i cant imagine how anyone could cope with the life people were thrust in to. everyone had their struggles at that time. but then there are the people that really really were handed so much pain and suffering. and for nothing. its so horrific and i still get upset about it today and the injustice of it all. and again worryingly so about some of the parallels between what is currently going on for pockets of our own society and how power is become once again a little scary.
the bravery of people of this time. i cant fathom being in one of those camps. the worry i have about it now does me in!
this book really shines a bright light on both the survivors and warriors of that time and those that inflicted that pain and suffering on to them. and i always felt like i was both reading a story but being informed in perfect balance.
i did get emotional at points too.
this book focus on the story via Hannah a resistance fighter and Hilde whos told to film a propaganda video of the camp to lie to all those on the outside.
having learnt more about these videos i never seas to be shocked about what happened at this time and the sly awful behavior of those causing such harm.
another fave to add to this genre. its one of the best ive read.

Jennifer Coburn’s The Girls of the Glimmer Factory is a deeply moving and expertly crafted historical novel that shines a light on the resilience of the human spirit. Set against the harrowing backdrop of Theresienstadt, Coburn weaves the stories of Hannah, a brave resistance fighter, and Hilde, a propagandist, into a gripping narrative that explores loyalty, survival, and moral complexity.

With richly drawn characters and vivid historical detail, this novel captures the tension and heartbreak of a dark chapter in history while celebrating the courage of those who fought back. Perfect for fans of historical fiction, The Girls of the Glimmer Factory is a must-read that lingers long after the final page.

My thanks to Net Galley and Sourcebooks Landmark for allowing me to review this arc. This is my second book from this author of Cradles of the Reich,

I am going to get right to the point. This was an EXCELLENT read! HIGHLY recommend. Get this book! It does not disappoint!

Story is told from 2 pov's. Hannah, a young girl and her grandfather separating from their family thinking they are going to a cottage her grandfather purchased by a resettlement Jewish community, but no, they are taken to a ghetto. Then we have Hilde, a young widow and would be filmmaker and a loyalist to the Reich that gets involved in making a propaganda film of the ghetto for a Red Cross inspection. But she doesn't expect to find her old childhood friend Hannah there.

This was my second read from this author, and she’s officially an auto-buy for me when it comes to historical fiction. This story is told through two perspectives: Hannah, a Jewish prisoner, and Hilde, a fervent believer striving to climb the ranks of the Nazi party.

Hannah finds herself imprisoned at Theresienstadt, a place the Nazis falsely portrayed as a wonderful relocation destination for Jews, only for the prisoners to discover it was a work camp. The narrative alternates between the two women, offering starkly contrasting viewpoints. Hilde is not a likable character, which is intentional, but her ignorance and naivety elicit some pity as they blind her to the truth until it’s too late.

Hannah, on the other hand, stole my heart. Her resilience in adapting to life in the camp and ultimately joining the resistance was inspiring. The ending comes full circle—not a perfect happily-ever-after but deeply heartfelt and emotional. Of course, given the historical context, a happily-ever-after wasn’t the reality for most Jews, and it’s heartbreaking every time I read historical fiction (or nonfiction) about their experiences.

This is a must-read for any historical fiction lover!

Hannah is a prisoner at Theresienstadt, a model ghetto where the Nazi’s plan to film a propaganda piece to show the world that their Jewish population is living well. She recognizes an old childhood friend, Hilda, who is now a strong Nazi cause believer and helping to create the film.

Another great World War Two fiction from Coburn. This one a coming of age story of a girl, unfortunately coming of age in Theresienstadt. This is an important story as it shows the use of propaganda during the war and how the Red Cross and others were enabled to turn a blind eye. I hate when ww2 fiction has all the characters survive, as it’s not realistic. This story is completely realistic and be prepared for that.

“Nature taunted her, but it was humanity that had betrayed her. Where were the cries of outrage from the world? They had to know what was happening.”

The Girls of the Glimmer Factory comes out 1/28.

Two young women during World War II. Hilde believes what the Reich says and is trying to find her place in it. Hannah is Jewish and in a concentration camp. When they were young they were best friends but times have changed. This book shows how different there lives are. This is a story told from two perspectives. The reader will identify more with one side or the other. This book explores life on both sides. Life in Germany and life in the concentration camp. How hard it was to have hope in the camps and the ways the residents resisted are explored. What happens when the two old friends meet? Will Hilde feel anything for Hannah or is she thoroughly brainwashed. A book about World War II that you will not want to miss.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #JenniferCoburn, and #SourcebooksLandmark for a copy of this book.
#TheGirlsoftheGlimmerFactory

So heart breaking. So hard to read. The epilogue had me in tears. The stark reminder of how many Jewish and “undesirable” people where killed during the holocaust shocks me to my core every time I read that number.

This book is not for the feint of heart. Look up triggers warnings if you must. It’s set during WWII and one character has been completely brainwashed by the parties rhetoric and the other character is Jewish woman imprisoned in a labor camp. Nothing about this book is happy. It’s an about the realities of that time and a story of survival.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC, the publishers, and Goodreads for sending me a physical copy after I won a giveaway. This book is an important read and it will definitely stick with me. 4.5 stars.

In November 1941, the Nazis put into place the Ghettos after the invasion of Czech Village of Terezin. Theresien ghetto provided slave labor for the German war. There were over 155,000 prisoners, 88,000 transported to death camps, and 35, 440 died of starvation and disease. This was promised to the Jews as a "paradise settlement" & "Hitler's gift to the Jews", which ended up being a staging area so they could film documentaries and invite the Red Cross to see the prisoners were handled well.
Nothing goes as they were told...
Hilde, 20 year old widowed German, works proudly for the Reich. Her dream to be a film director has her making terrible decisions. She was best friends in school with a Jew, Hannah.
Hannah lives in Theresien and knows the truth about the camp. Her grandfather is in the camp with her, as well as others she went to school with. Their resilience and bonds they make in camp will touch your heart. As they deal with starvation, sickness and death, as well as friends and family being transported to death camps, my heart hurts and aches for them.
Hannah and Hilde come face to face when the filming company comes to portray the camp in a deceptive light with food, games, and good health. I had a hard time with Hilde as a character, but I can't say what I would do in such a situation.
WWII has always been one of my studies in college and day to day readings. I'm appalled by the treatment yet I love the stories of inspiration from the darkest moments in history. How humans could ever treat others in such a despicable manner never ceases to shock me. Yet, with each story I learn more about perseverance despite the challenges the Jews and others demonstrated "never give up". May we never forget or repeat the worse parts of history.
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

In 1940, after leaving Munich for Prague several years earlier, Hannah Kaufman and her family realized they had to escape persecution and move to Palestine. Although they had all the necessary paperwork and tickets ready, plans changed unexpectedly, and Hannah remained in Prague with her grandfather Oskar. Believing he had bought a lakeside cottage, Oskar and Hannah traveled to Berlin to live in a Jewish community called Theresienstadt. The illusion of a comfortable life quickly vanished when they discovered the cottage didn't exist. Their new home was a prison. Unlike the work camps and concentration camps in the East, Theresienstadt was created for propaganda to convince the world that the Jewish people were well-treated and content. Hannah decided to work diligently, hoping for the day when she would be reunited with her family in Palestine.

Hilde Kramer, a staunch supporter of Hitler, secures a position at the Reich Ministry of Enlightenment and Propaganda. Aspiring to be a filmmaker, she is happy to be assigned to a team heading to Theresienstadt to produce a film depicting a flourishing Jewish community. 

The Girls of the Glimmer Factory is a moving book. Author Jennifer Coburn brings attention to Theresienstadt, a ghetto that might not be familiar to many readers. Hannah is a resilient young woman who finds strength in the ghetto and joins a resistance group. Hilde, who appeared in Coburn's previous book Cradles of the Reich, symbolizes the many misguided people who blindly accepted the lies and hatred spread during this tragic historical period. If you are interested in World War II stories, this well-researched book is one to read. The issues of propaganda, prejudice, and hatred remain pertinent.

Rated 4.25 stars.