The Nazi’s Daughter

Elise the daughter of a Dutch Nazi is a ballet dancer until an injury ends her career and she retires to a remote island. Peter is a schoolteacher but also a resistance fighter and so when he meets Elise on paper the two should hate each other but the attraction is there!

Jenni is summoned to a party to celebrate her grandmother's life in New York in 2008 and so we learn of the life Elise.

I enjoyed the book especially the history aspect of it - I always enjoy books about people in the war years rather than fighting and this is the first one that I have read involving Holland so it made it more interesting for me

Actual rating 3.5

I enjoyed this book for the most part. I'm not typically a fan of multiple storylines but in this case it worked well. I did have a bit of trouble feeling completely engaged in the story as it had a tendency to keep me at arm's length, which was a shame. There was also a fair amount of choppiness to some of the sentences which removed me from the story as well. The ending felt rushed and unconvincing, which was disappointing as most of the story had moved along at a good pace. Overall it was a good read despite my issues with it.

I was given an ARC of The Nazi's Daughter by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Stayed up till 3Am last night reading this book The Nazi's Daughter by Tim Murgatroyd. I started reading this book at lunch yesterday, and got home and had to start it back up. I was drawn to the characters right away... and some I really didn't even like. The book was interesting switching back from WW2 till present day. The story was more about the characters and how their lives were effected by the war, and not so much about WW2 itself. I wish the ending would have been a little longer and went into more detail about how the past can effect the families future and felt it ended too quickly.
I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to someone's reading list!

This book needs to be in every library! Tim Murgatroyd has crafted a masterpiece. I have always read a lot about WWII and the horrendous, unimaginable acts of terror that the Nazi's committed. This book was so riveting and so well done it had my heart pounding and turning page after page anxiously to keep the story going. There really aren't enough words to describe the artistry with which this book was written. SO good.

This is the story of Peter and Elise and Jenni. It is a time hopping story. Part of the book takes place during WWII and the other in 2008. I love how you see the impact of what happened during WWII in 2008. The language is lyrical in places and straight forward in others. I found myself skipping over some paragraphs that seemed to be unnecessary to the storyline. I felt like some of it could have been left out with no harm done to the plot. Even though The story was a little slow I still couldn't stop reAding. It's not a high action WWII story. It takes place more on the periferie. Painted a pretty good picture of life during WWII. Could have used some more details and descriptions to bring it to life even more. Overall it was a very enjoyable read for someone who loves WWII fiction.
I received a digital copy from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

The Nazi’s Daughter by Tim Murgtroyd is the story of Elise and Jenni, two women, generations apart inked by blood and history. Jenni is Elise’s granddaughter. The story begins with the death of Elise. Jenni attends a celebration of her grandmother’s life although it is clear from the start that the two didn’t really know each other. However, at this ceremony, she decides to get to know her grandmother. She starts searching for answers and asking questions to find out who she was.

The story is narrated in two timelines. The past is set in 1943 with Elise growing up as the Nazi’s daughter. She suffers an injury and goes off to live at the coast where she meets Peter. Peter is in the resistance. In his house, there are people hiding in the attic including Jews, a man wanted by the Nazi and black pilot. Peter and Elise meet and over time, friendship turns to something more. However, their identities pose a threat to the relationship and to the lives of those around them. If the resistance finds out about Peter’s relationship with Elise, they could eliminate her based on the fear that she will reveal their secrets. If the Nazis find out about the relationship and take a closer look at Peter, they may find the people in his attic and that would mean death to them and Peter. In addition, one of the Nazi officers, Cornelius has an interest in Elise and is determined to marry her. This poses another challenge to the relationship. Although both are hiding secrets and fears about the relationship, Peter and Elise can’t fight the feelings that they had for each other.

I liked the past narrations. The 1943 timeline was interesting. The author developed the setting to reflect the realities of the time. The conflict between the Nazi, resistance and Jews was vividly portrayed through the pages. I know this shouldn’t shock me but I still can’t believe that there are people who were once loyal to Hitler. In the book, the Nazis determination is evident. They believe in Hitler and his ideologies. They are so dedicated to their leader that not even family can deter their commitment. On the other hand, I liked the description of the resistance. These are people who decided not to support the Hitler madness and risked their lives to do so.

Elise stands out in the narrative. She was rebellious, strong and determined. Her family name haunted her wherever she went but in a way, she was determined to establish her own identity. On the other hand, her granddaughter was different. I don’t have much to say about her apart from the fact that I admired her resolve to find answers. However, thinking about her now, I don’t think her character was as well developed as Elise’s. I didn’t connect with her and I actually found myself more interested in her grandmother’s story.

This book is tragic and certain events broke my heart. However, the story was addictive. I especially wanted to know Elise and the events that took place in her life. The writing has an easy flow to it. The only thing that bugged me a little bit was the amount of details. I could skip a paragraph and find out that I hadn’t missed anything. Nevertheless, I think that this book will appeal to lovers of historical fiction.

This is a beautifully written, amazing war tragedy and love story rolled into one. Very thought provoking!!! One of the better historical fictions I have read, for sure! I love this book!