The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck
Reviewed by: Becky Houghton, Reference Assistant
Genre: Historical Fiction
Suggested Age: Teens, Adults
What is the book about?: Marianne von Lingenfels, the widow of a resister in Nazi Germany, returns to the castle once occupied by her husband’s ancestors following years of war. Marianne begins assisting the families of other brave conspirators who died while executing a failed attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler in 1944. This is the story of the lives of three women and their families before, during and after World War II.
My Review: Set at the end of World War II, in a crumbling Bavarian castle, this novel explores the lives of three widows who become intertwined as a result of one woman’s efforts to honor the wishes of her deceased husband that she care for the families of those resisting Nazi Germany and it’s atrocities. Marianne von Lingenfels gathers together a makeshift family from the ruins of the resistance movement and learns that nothing is truly black and white. Dark secrets threaten to tear this group apart, but eventually the women come to terms with the decisions that changed their lives. This book gives a different perspective and social insight into a tumultuous period in Germany’s history.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Thought-provoking, Emotional, Gripping
Give This a Try if You Like… Other books by this author including her New York Times Notable Book, Hazards of Good Breeding or her book Perfect Life.
Rating: 4.5
About FDL Reads
FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.