The Women of the Castle

Three German women are haunted by the past and their secrets, in the devastating aftermath of WWII. A mesmerising story of resistance, forgiveness and the complexity of the human heart.

Zusatztext 'In the wake of the second world war! the widow of a resistor to the Nazi regime offers her home to fellow resistance widows- only to find they may be hiding the truth about their part in the regime'. Informationen zum Autor Jessica Shattuck lives with her husband and three children in Massachusetts. The novel is based on seven years of research and writing and delving into Jessica's own family history. Klappentext In the devastating wake of World War Two! Marianne von Schneesingen returns to the grand! crumbling castle in which she had once played host to all of German high society. The widow of a resistor to the Nazi regime (caught up in the July '44 plot)! Marianne has promised to remain a lifelong protector to her fellow resistance widows! making it her mission to bring the survivors into the fold of the castle once more. Rescuing her dearest childhood friend's widow! Benita! from the sexual slavery of the Russian army! and another! Ania! from a work camp for political prisoners! Marianne assembles a makeshift family from the ruins of her husband's resistance movement! certain that their shared past will bind them together. But Marianne soon finds that the black-and-white! highly principled world she thought she knew is infinitely more complicated; while Benita begins a clandestine relationship with a former Nazi soldier! Ania struggles to conceal the truth about the part she really played during the Nazi regime. All three women must grapple with the reality that each has been given three lives: ones lived before! during! and after the war! each with its own set of burdens. Zusammenfassung In war they made impossible choices. Now can they live with them? 'Moving . . . surprises and devastates' New York Times 'Masterful' People 'Mesmerising . . . reveals new truths about one of history's most tragic eras' USA Today The Third Reich has crumbled. The Russians are coming. Marianne von Lingenfels - widow of a resister murdered by the Nazi regime - finds refuge in the crumbling Bavarian castle where she once played host to German high society. There she fulfils her promise to find and protect the wives and children of her husband's brave conspirators, rescuing her dearest friend's widow, Benita, from sexual slavery to the Russian army, and Ania from a work camp for political prisoners. As Marianne assembles this makeshift family she is certain their shared pain will bind them together. But as Benita begins a clandestine relationship and Ania struggles to conceal her role in the Nazi regime, Marianne learns that her clear-cut, highly principled world view has no place in these new, frightening and emotionally-charged days. All three women must grapple with the realities they now face, and the consequences of decisions each made in the darkest of times . . . Deeply moving and compelling, The Women of the Castle is a heart-wrenching and hopeful novel of secrets and survival, a reckoning, and the astonishing power of forgiveness. Perfect for fans of All the Light You Cannot See, The Reader and The Light Between Oceans . ...

'In the wake of the second world war, the widow of a resistor to the Nazi regime offers her home to fellow resistance widows- only to find they may be hiding the truth about their part in the regime'.

Autorentext
Jessica Shattuck lives with her husband and three children in Massachusetts. The novel is based on seven years of research and writing and delving into Jessica's own family history.

Klappentext

In the devastating wake of World War Two, Marianne von Schneesingen returns to the grand, crumbling castle in which she had once played host to all of German high society. The widow of a resistor to the Nazi regime (caught up in the July '44 plot), Marianne has promised to remain a lifelong protector to her fellow resistance widows, making it her mission to bring the survivors into the fold of the castle once more. Rescuing her dearest childhood friend's widow, Benita, from the sexual slavery of the Russian army, and another, Ania, from a work camp for political prisoners, Marianne assembles a makeshift family from the ruins of her husband's resistance movement, certain that their shared past will bind them together. But Marianne soon finds that the black-and-white, highly principled world she thought she knew is infinitely more complicated; while Benita begins a clandestine relationship with a former Nazi soldier, Ania struggles to conceal the truth about the part she really played during the Nazi regime. All three women must grapple with the reality that each has been given three lives: ones lived before, during, and after the war, each with its own set of burdens.

Zusammenfassung

In war they made impossible choices. Now can they live with them?

'Moving . . . surprises and devastates' New York Times
'Masterful' People
'Mesmerising . . . reveals new truths about one of history's most tragic eras' USA Today

The Third Reich has crumbled. The Russians are coming.

Marianne von Lingenfels - widow of a resister murdered by the Nazi regime - finds refuge in the crumbling Bavarian castle where she once played host to German high society. There she fulfils her promise to find and protect the wives and children of her husband's brave conspirators, rescuing her dearest friend's widow, Benita, from sexual slavery to the Russian army, and Ania from a work camp for political prisoners. As Marianne assembles this makeshift family she is certain their shared pain will bind them together.

But as Benita begins a clandestine relationship and Ania struggles to conceal her role in the Nazi regime, Marianne learns that her clear-cut, highly principled world view has no place in these new, frightening and emotionally-charged days.

All three women must grapple with the realities they now face, and the consequences of decisions each made in the darkest of times . . .

Deeply moving and compelling, The Women of the Castle is a heart-wrenching and hopeful novel of secrets and survival, a reckoning, and the astonishing power of forgiveness. Perfect for fans of All the Light You Cannot See, The Reader and The Light Between Oceans*.*