Home › Books › Inge's War: A German Woman's Story of Family, Sec…
Inge's War: A German Woman's Story of Family, Secrets, and Survival Under Hitler
by
79/99
Critics' Rating Index
70/99
Readers' Rating Index
n/a
Scholars' Citation Index
84/99
Volume of Reviews
40/99
Volume of Reader Ratings
Sign in to add to your shelf, rate, or review this book.
About This Book
The mesmerizing account of a granddaughter's search for a World War II family history hidden for sixty yearsGrowing up in Paris as the daughter of a German mother and an Irish father, Svenja O'Donnell knew little of her family's German past. All she knew was that her great-grandparents, grandmother, and mother had fled their home city of Königsberg near the end of World War II, never to return. But everything changed when O'Donnell traveled to the city--now known as Kaliningrad, and a part of Russia--and called her grandmother, who uncharacteristically burst into tears. "I have so much to tell you," Inge said. In this transporting and illuminating book, the award-winning journalist vividly reconstructs the story of Inge's life from the rise of the Nazis through the brutal postwar years, from falling in love with a man who was sent to the Eastern Front just after she became pregnant with his child, to spearheading her family's flight as the Red Army closed in, her young daughter in tow. Ultimately, O'Donnell uncovers the act of violence that separated Inge from the man she loved; a terrible secret hidden for more than six decades.A captivating World War II saga, Inge's War is also a powerful reckoning with the meaning of German identity and inherited trauma. In retracing her grandmother's footsteps, O'Donnell not only discovers the remarkable story of a woman caught in the gears of history, but also comes face to face with her family's legacy of neutrality and inaction--and offers a rare glimpse into a reality too long buried by silence and shame.
Reviews
"At turns touching and surprising, O'Donnell's work offers an honest look at how strength, weakness, and resiliency can shape who you are and who you become."
"O'Donnell provides thoughtful commentary every step of the way ..."
"a wrenching family story that spreads across much of the landscape of World War II ..."
"not just the story of a life — it's about the relationship between a woman and her grandmother, one in which O'Donnell gradually chips away at the wall of silence Inge has erected ..."
"Living in wartime becomes palpably real ..."
"But through it she came to understand a grandmother who'd always seemed cold and aloof."
"O'Donnell fills in the gaps in Inge's memories with investigative reporting, historical research, and imaginative recreations of key moments, delivering an incisive and multilayered account of family trauma, the dangers of nationalism and anti-Semitism, and the plight of refugees."
"This compelling testimonial details the deprivations German citizens faced during the war and reveals a dark part of Danish history."
Preview
Reader Reviews
0 reviewsSign in to write a review.
No reader reviews yet. Be the first!