Book Reco # 2: The Women of the Castle
A story about three women navigating post-war Germany.
Hello there,
This week’s book recommendation is The Women of the Castle by Jessica Shattuck.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 Stars
Marianne von Lingenfels returns to her old castle with her three children to fulfill her promise to her husband and dear friend - to find and protect her fellow Nazi resistance widows. Marianne meets Benita and his son and Ania and her two boys. Together, the three mothers navigate post-war Germany and live with the difficult decisions they made during and after the war. They all lived in Marianne’s castle, a deteriorating landmark that once played host to all of German high society.
I've read many books and watched many movies about Germany during WWII, but this is the first story I read about Germans who hated Hitler and their lives after the war. This book gives you a different angle at what happened in Germany post-war. It actually never even occurred to me that there were German Nazi resistors.
The book talks a lot about morality as it transports you to Germany after WWII. It explores the "dark" decisions three women had to make as they rebuilt their lives post-war without their husbands. Each character is distinct, with good story arcs. Each of the women's character development is well-written.
The story spans throughout the character's lifetimes. When they returned to the castle when they were older, I was swept away by nostalgia as the characters were going through it.
I loved this book, and I wonder why this hasn't been on my radar before.
Happy Reading!