Just wow! This book set in WW2 Poland/Germany is totally riveting, I could not put it down. It’s so full of heartbreak, sorrow, fear, love and hope. I can only imagine what these people went through during WW2 and this book gave me a good idea of how hard life would be many. It felt real and accurate to the time. This is my first book by this author and it will certainly not be the last. I love the writing style, it really drew me in, emotionally threw me around a bit and then spit me out. It was powerful, though provoking and horrible but always there was hope. Really loved this book, totally deserves 5 stars.

1943 sweeps in changes for Gdansk and the Hartmann family and they are forced to do things they never thought they’d do. They own a chocolate making factory at a time in history when chocolate was considered a luxury item and not essential for the war effort. Struggling to make ends meet, Mr. Hartmann aligns himself with the enemy so that while production was limited, he still profited. The fear of losing everything he’d worked for moved him to agree to focus on manufacturing chocolate for the sole use of the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe.

Nealon shows how fear changes people, how pretending becomes self-preservation, and how the different shades of love carry people through the dark days of history.

Her characters are pulled in so many directions as they deal with Hitler’s cruelties, Stalin’s brainwashing, malicious blackmailing and false friendships.

I appreciated learning about Kashubian traditions and food, and how the use of Pertitin benefitted Hilter on and off the battlefield.

Fraulein Katharina Hartmann shows readers that even in war the most effective way to fight isn’t on the open battlefield. You’ll have to read to uncover her battle plan. This 5-star historical fiction highlighting the Jewel of the Baltic and the Polish resistance shows how love and hope can rise out of the rubble of broken people and broken buildings.

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