Feyra’s life is upended by the death of her mother and the rise of Hitler. As she begins to find her confidence, she leaves home—only to eventually face the need to flee Germany. Her journey, set in the 1930s, is interwoven with the present-day story of Maddie, a young woman helping her grandfather uncover the truth about his mother, who had emigrated from Germany decades earlier.

This is a beautifully bittersweet work of historical fiction. I appreciated that the author didn’t rely on unnecessary filler to stretch the story—it felt focused and well-paced throughout. It was a pleasure to read, and I’m definitely interested in exploring more of the author’s work.

I really enjoyed this book and particularly the two main characters in the back and forth story line. Freya and Maddie were cut from the same cloth it appeared although living in very different time frames. I found the twist at the end to be a great wrap up of their story. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a WWII story with a culminating ending.

The Banned Books of Berlin links the time frame of Germany in the early 1930’s with the present day.
In 1933, a young woman, Freya is caught in a world of rising fascism. In the present day, her American born great granddaughter Maddie discovers Freya’s pre-war diary while helping her grandfather with his “death “ cleaning in his home in Los Angeles.
The novel traverses the time periods as Maddie learns more about Freya’s life, the choices she makes and the people in her world.
The important message of this novel is the lasting effect of suppression of ideas and book banning has on people, history and cultures. A well worth read by Daisy Wood.
Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARc.

This wonderful story takes the reader between 1930s Germany and 2024 United States. It is not a time travel book, it focuses on two timelines while telling the story.

While helping her grandfather sort through his apartment during his Swedish death cleaning, Maddie discovered her great-grandmother's handwritten journal. The uncovering of the journal entices Maddie to search for more information about her great-grandmother and leads to the discovery of an incredible twist that the reader simply does not see coming.

I feel the title is a bit misleading. Freya (the main character in the Berlin timeline) is passionate about books; however, banned books is not really a key factor in the book.

First time reading this author
I enjoyed this book
About wwii and having to give up your life for the better

I enjoyed Maddie’s story in the present-day timeline, but Freya’s, not so much. So depressing to read about her family dynamics, her work environment, and the rise of the Nazis. Maddie’s grandfather is a fun character. His link to Freya neatly ties the two threads together.

This novel is told in two timelines. In one timeline, Freya Amsel has lost her mother as unrest continues to grow in Berlin. As the economic depression worsens, Freya finds herself working in a night club, as an assistant the costumer. She becomes friends with one performer, Violet, a young woman from England, who is far more than what she seems. At home, the need for more money leads the Amsel family to rent out a room to a man who is rising up in the Nazi party.

In the other timeline, Maddie is a journalist who has been having some trouble at work and has decided to return home to Los Angeles to visit her family. While there, she starts to help her grandfather go through his things and finds some items belonging to her great grandmother, including a diary. As she reads through the diary, Maddie learns about how her great-grandmother's life during the rise of the Nazi party was far more interesting than she could have possibly imagined.

A well-crafted novel with incidents and themes relevant to events happening today.

** Please note: Contains spoilers
What a great read. I've always loved historical fiction, especially WW II novels. As many as I have read, it still amazes me that people can be so cruel & heartless. I wonder if I could have been as brave as Freya, Violet, Leon & the others. I grew to hate Walther early. He was conceited and rude. I knew it was going to be a good book when I started feeling strong feelings for the characters. I was heartbroken when I learned Leon was unfaithful l, but can also see the draw of the strong feelings of passion during war time. I also loved that Gramps was understanding of the situation & not bad at Freya or Violet for the outcome. In a world full of hate, it shows you that there are still good, kind-hearted people in the world. Thank you for this book, I will definitely be reading more Daisy Wood novels in the future.