Prisoner of Night and Fog

Author: Anne Blankman

Pages: 401

Goodreads Synopsis: In 1930s Munich, danger lurks behind dark corners, and secrets are buried deep within the city. But Gretchen Müller, who grew up in the National Socialist Party under the wing of her “uncle” Dolf, has been shielded from that side of society ever since her father traded his life for Dolf’s, and Gretchen is his favorite, his pet.

Uncle Dolf is none other than Adolf Hitler.

And Gretchen follows his every command.

Until she meets a fearless and handsome young Jewish reporter named Daniel Cohen. Gretchen should despise Daniel, yet she can’t stop herself from listening to his story: that her father, the adored Nazi martyr, was actually murdered by an unknown comrade. She also can’t help the fierce attraction brewing between them, despite everything she’s been taught to believe about Jews.

As Gretchen investigates the very people she’s always considered friends, she must decide where her loyalties lie. Will she choose the safety of her former life as a Nazi darling, or will she dare to dig up the truth—even if it could get her and Daniel killed?

From debut author Anne Blankman comes this harrowing and evocative story about an ordinary girl faced with the extraordinary decision to give up everything she’s ever believed . . . and to trust her own heart instead.

Rating: ***** (4.5 stars)

Review: I love learning about World War II, what caused it and why it happened to the extent that it happened. Prisoner of Night and Fog was about Gretchen, a fictional character, but most of the other characters and events were real. It was really interested to learn about Hitler’s early life and career as the leader of the Nazi Party. It was interesting to hear some of the hypotheses on why Hitler did what he did, was he a Psychopath or was he just evil?  It was also interesting to see how Gretchen, the fictional niece of Hitler, interacted with Daniel, a Jewish man. She was so brainwashed that she could not see that he was a real man and should not be treated as a “subhuman.” This book was an interesting portrayal of the beginning of World War II.