What a story! So much going on and I loved it! Absolutely loved the way it was written showing us the story of Freya’s world as it played out and with the modern time line showing us similarities with things happening in her family’s life, and with the added twist of her family searching for the history behind Freya’s life.

This story reminds us that we don’t always have to agree with each other to work towards the common good. It makes you think about the adage “history repeats itself”, with the subject of banning and burning books simply because the book, the author, might share a different point of view than you do. We need to work harder to accept and help each other instead of working to tear each other down.
By the last quarter of this story I was fully drawn into the lives of these characters, invested wanting to know what happened and what happens next, feeling so emotionally connected and couldn’t put it down until it was done.

Thank you Harper 360 for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own

Rating: 4.9/5 Stars
The Banned Books of Berlin by Daisy Wood is a dual timeline book that follows Freya, a young woman in 1930’s Berlin, Germany and her granddaughter, Maddie, in 2024 Los Angeles. Freya is an aspiring writer and lover of the written word. Due to her family’s precarious financial situation and her mother’s recent death, so must work as a seamstress to support her family. She becomes concerned with the uprising of the Nazi party, particularly the burning of books.
Maddie is a journalist who is spending time with her family in Los Angeles to help her grandfather organize his affairs for his eventual death. In the process, she begins to learn more about her grandmother, Freya. She begins to investigate more of her grandfather’s (and her) family history. What she learns is shocking.
I loved this book. Yes, it is another WWII historical fiction novel. But, this unique perspective from a woman with resistance ideology in Nazi Berlin was fascinating. The frequent setting inside the cabaret made the novel dark and atmospheric. I loved the diverse cast of characters that Freya meets and, while many of them are deeply flawed, she loves each of them uniquely. Maddie’s investigation into the past keeps the book driving forward with breadcrumbs of revelation revealed along the way.
I did find Maddie’s mother absolutely onerous and detestable. I would love to give her a piece of my mind. If not for the mother character, this book would be a 5-star book for me.
This is a meticulously researched historical fiction novel with very unique characters. I felt that they could have been my friends and took a vested interest in their survival. This is a wonderful addition to the bookshelves of historical fiction readers everywhere.

This book was well written! It had great character development. I loved the characters right from the start! It’s fun when a book goes back and forth in time (past and present). Amazing ending and kept my attention the entire way through! I would hands down recommend this book.

In 1933 Berlin, the night skies are burning bright with huge bonfires of banned books. The Nazi party is swelling in number and Berlin is no longer a safe place for young Freya. She can only watch on, horrified, as her beloved city falls to fascism – and the usually law-abiding Freya is forced to make a choice: continue being a bystander, or sacrifice herself to save the lives of others… In present-dau New York, Maddie commutes home to her family to reset. Struggling to fully turn off from her work, she is surprised to come across a pre-war German diary amongst her Grandpa’s things. And when she starts to dig into the diary, Maddie’s shocked by what she finds.

And so begins a journey that will take Maddie beyond America as she searches for the truth about Freya, and how she changed people’s lives across the globe…

As usual, Daisy Wood has written an historical fiction that ties the past to the future, with wonderful characters and their effort to survive the past and lean the truth of the times to help understand the future. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for offering another book by the wonderful author. Anyone who likes WWII historical fiction and how the real events affected the future will enjoy this book.

I’m hooked!! Not my typical read my I locked in and ready for the journey! I can’t wait to finish the whole book!

A captivating novel of historical fiction told in two timelines - Germany in the 1930’s and Los Angeles in 2024. The early 1930’s finds Germany still reeling from its defeat in WWII with Communists, Fascists, and the emerging Nazis at odds to rule the country. As Hitler ascends, Freya’s family begins to crumble - her mother dies, her father and brother are demanding and becoming believers in the Fuhrer, and the brownshirts are terrorizing not only the Jews but anyone who shows any opposition to their ideology. Freya must take a job which she does as a seamstress at a nightclub - where she will meet both sympathizers and those who oppose Hitler. The infamous book burnings conducted by the Nazis provide a basis for the unfolding horrors she faced (and thus the title of the book).

In 2024, Maddie, the great-granddaughter of Freya, is reeling from a vicious social media attack so she decides to head to Los Angeles to visit her mother, brother, and grandfather. Her grandfather is preparing for death - “Swedish death cleaning.” When Maddie lends a hand, she finds a diary - which sends her on a journey to find out more about her grandfather’s mother.

The story goes back and forth between the time lines and the story of Freda is slowly but surely uncovered. I enjoy reading historical fiction and this is one of the good ones. Although the pace is slow at times (especially at the beginning), the unpeeling of the layers of Freya’s journey and Maddie’s journalistic investigation were both heartwarming and heartbreaking. My thanks to Avon Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel.

This was an excellent book! I tend to love all historical fiction based around World War 2, and this one definitely delivered.
Freya was such a strong young woman, living out her beliefs. I liked the interspersing of the past and the present, where Freya's great granddaughter and her gramps (Freya's son) were piecing together the past and really bringing the family together.
I wasn't super fond of the "love triangle" between Freya, Violet, and Leon, but other than that it was a very good book.
If you like historical fiction, especially based in WW2, you will definitely like this book!

This book was written so well. Well, it didn’t go into details of the war as a typical historical fiction, it did bring in a huge part of the emotional turmoil in Germany. This story was written beautifully with a wonderful balance in present as well as the past. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the end was executed beautifully. Thank you, NetGalley!

I honestly wish the author would have stuck with historical fiction and not the contemporary aspect of the story. Maddie was quick to judge people based on nothing, the fact her mom did not want Ben to be independent was just not realistic and honestly, the only redeeming character here is Ben.

The Banned Books of Berlin by Daisy Wood is the first book I've read by this author. I will definitely be reading her other works! I've become a big fan of historical fiction, with many books concerning World War II, so this was right up my alley...especially since books were involved!

In June 1930 in Berlin, Germany, young Freya Amsel loses her beloved mother. Her father Ernst and brother Otto are increasingly becoming fervent about fascism and the rise of Adolf Hitler. Not Freya. She wants to become a writer, and before her death her mother encouraged her to leave and find her voice. With money short since her mother died, the family had to take in a boarder, a young Nazi who was ambitious and was rising in the party. Freya finds work at a nightclub as an assistant to a costumer, and meets people who have similar ideas to hers. But things are becoming dangerous in Berlin... Meanwhile, in present day Los Angeles, Maddie returns home to her family to get away from a troll who's hounding her about her writing for her job. Helping her Gramps with his "Swedish death cleaning", she comes across a pre-war German diary in his things. When she learns more about the diary, she's shocked by what she finds. Thus begins her journey to find the truth about Freya.

Usually dual time lines annoy me, but the author didn't make it the least bit confusing, thank goodness. (Honestly, though, I was a bit confused about the prologue. Who were those people? I reread that section after I finished the book, and it still took me a while...but it finally hit me like a ton of bricks, like "well, duh.") Though Freya's story was the most interesting, I did enjoy Maddie's story, too. After her work as a writer attracted a vicious troll, Maddie needed a break to reset. She returned to her childhood home to visit her mother Sharon and younger brother Ben, a young man with Down Syndrome who was an artist. While helping her Gramps with his "Swedish death cleaning" ("Hey, I'm old, let's clean up and get rid of most of my stuff now so my family won't have to do it when I'm dead!), they found the diary of her grandmother written in German. Maddie is determined to learn all about Gramps' mother. She is assisted in her quest by Daniel, the grandson of Gramps' artist friend Eva. Maddie begins to feel more confident about her own life after feeling kinship with her grandmother. Back in 1930 Berlin, Freya is a fascinating character. Before her mother died, she told Freya to go write and let her voice be heard, instead of being stifled in the current climate. Though young, she had a good head on her shoulders and knew she had to move on from her home, since her remaining family members were becoming diehard fascists. Freya began to come into her own while working at the nightclub. Violet, one of the performers, introduced Freya to writers and artists, and there she felt at home and accepted. Things were becoming difficult in Berlin for open-minded people, and was becoming dangerous. When the Nazis, at the urging of college students (of all people!), began planning a huge book burning, she knew she must protest in her own special way. When the Nazi boarder from Freya's home discovered what she had done, he showed up at the nightclub, and things came to a head; it was time for Freya to leave Germany. before she lost her new voice. Freya's story was very exciting, and we learn more of her life after Germany from Maddie's detection. Supporting characters were very good. Violet was a performer at the nightclub, and she introduced Freya to a writer who had a big impact on her. Was Violet a friend or foe? It was hard to know at times, and I will not give away any secrets! I adored Maddie's brother Ben, who wanted to move away from home for some independence, while mother Sharon was afraid to let her child go out in the world. Gramps was a hoot with his death cleaning and the outfits he wore. Leon Kohl was Freya's brother's best friend, until he revealed he was Jewish, which changed everything. Freya was in love with Leon, but there definitely was no smooth sailing there. One of the most memorable - and frightening - supporting characters was Walther Grube, the boarder at Freya's home. He portrayed the rising face of fascism in pre-war Germany. I must collect the other works of Daisy Wood, if this book was any indication!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

Thank you net galley for this arc. to start this is my first historical fiction book, so maybe i didn'ti fully understand it but the story was ok i would like to read more historical, but this one just didn't hit the way i thought maybe if i listen to the audio.

This book was just okay. It didn't wow me. I think I would have preferred just a story about Freya without all the back and forth from the current timeline.

I chose to read this book for a reading challenge that I am doing and I found this book really interesting! It was medium pace and the dual timeline made for an interesting connection between the past and the present. It was an easy read - sometimes almost too easy, with the writing coming across as simple.

I am confused and not sure if I missed something. The description says "modern day New York", but I thought it took place in Oregon and California. I feel like I missed something or maybe the author changed the location after the description was written? Small thing, but it threw me off.

Good book overall!

While romance is my go-to genre, I’ve been on a Historical Fiction kick lately, gravitating primarily towards books inspired by events from WWII. Stumbling upon The Banned Books of Berlin by Daisy Wood (@daisywoodwriter), I knew immediately that I needed to read it.

The subject matter is challenging and may be upsetting at times, but The Banned Books of Berlin is certainly worth the read. Crossing decades, we follow Freya and Maddie, two women tied together by history and fate. Freya, caught amidst war-torn Berlin, fights against the rising tyrannical regime; Maddie, along with her grandfather, uncover secrets about their family from decades past, discovering much more about their ties to Freya than they could have ever imagined. Freya’s courage and quiet rebellion during one of the most frightening moments in human history was nothing short of inspiring, while Maddie’s dedication to discovering the truth alongside her grandfather was wholesome and endearing. Both women were two sides of the same coin, enlightening readers to the strong, intelligent, caring nature of women worldwide. The Banned Books of Berlin was incredibly insightful and eye opening, and anyone with an interest in Historical Fiction should consider reading it.

As someone who reads a great deal of historical fiction, especially stories set during WWII, I went into The Banned Books of Berlin with high hopes. While the premise held promise and the subject matter is undeniably important, I found the pacing slower than expected, which made it difficult for me to stay engaged.

The writing is rich with description, which some readers may really enjoy. However, for me, the abundance of detail often felt overwhelming and left little room for imagination or emotional connection with the characters. I found myself wishing for a bit more space to breathe, more opportunity to feel alongside the characters rather than being told exactly what they were experiencing at every moment.

That said, I can appreciate the care and research that went into this novel, and I know there are readers who will absolutely connect with the immersive style and historical depth. It just wasn’t quite the right fit for me.

Two timelines tell the story of Freya in early 1930s Berlin and Maddie in modern day west coast of the US. Freya struggles with the pressure of her father and brother who are enamored of Hitler and her desire to be a writer free to explore any topic. Freya loves literature and the people she comes to know while making costumes for a burlesque theater. Maddie is a journalist struggling with online trolls. In assisting her grandfather with his Swedish Death Cleaning, she comes across journals of his mother, Freya. Family secrets bound in the rise of fascism in 1930s Germany unravel as the two stories parallel and intertwine. Historical fiction at its best.

This was a really good read. I felt like the execution of the book was good. The pacing was also good, I did not find it lagging in any parts of the book. It was a very well written book and at times a very sad story. I would definitely read more books from this author and recommend this book.

This story alters between the past and the present. The past is set in Berlin at the start of the Nazi occupation. In the present Maddie is a journalist who discovers information about her Grandfathers past. The eras are eventually connected, but with a twist. The story is compelling and is a good book for anyone interested in historical fiction. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

A breathtaking story of courage, resistance, and the unbreakable power of the written word.

Banned Books of Berlin is one of those rare historical novels that lingers long after you finish the last page. Set against the haunting backdrop of Berlin in 1933, Freya’s story is both harrowing and inspiring—a young woman caught between fear and conviction, witnessing her beloved city consumed by fascism. Her journey from bystander to brave resistor is heartbreaking and unforgettable.

In the present-day timeline, Maddie’s discovery of Freya’s diary feels like unlocking a secret piece of history—and her emotional journey as she unravels the truth is every bit as compelling. The contrast between past and present is masterfully done, weaving together personal legacy, generational courage, and the impact of stories hidden for too long.

This is a novel about the price of silence, the courage it takes to speak out, and how the echoes of resistance can reach across decades.

For fans of The Book Thief, The Paris Library, and anyone who believes in the enduring power of books to change the world.

This is a dual timeline book between Nazi Germany and present day. It's about censorship and the freedom to speak and the importance of knowing your history. In present day, Maddie finds great grandmother Freya's diary and learns of her relatives fight against the Nazis desire to rid the world of "indecent" books.

This book was hard to read as paragraphs were quite long, very deceptive, and slow to start. It's a good story overall.