Once you knew–really knew–of the women and children being shot in the woods, of the shower rooms constructed for the sole purpose of killing, how could you not act? But now, here was the obvious reason she had repressed: the cost. If the plan failed, all that she cherished would be lost.
(from The Women in the Castle)
After her husband and best friend are executed for their roles in the attempted assassination of Adolf Hitler on July 20, 1944, Marianne von Lingenfels acts on her promise to protect the wives and children of their fellow resisters. In 1945, Germany is in shambles, and the Nazi atrocities are being brought to light, forcing ordinary Germans to acknowledge their nation’s defeat and guilt. Amid the ruins, Marianne is able to find her best friend Connie’s family — his wife, Benita, a victim of the Red Army’s occupation of Berlin, and six-year-old son, Martin, who was sent to a Nazi re-education home after the failed plot. She eventually finds Ania and her two sons at a displaced persons camp, and along with her own children, Marianne establishes a new family with these women in the crumbing Bavarian castle that belonged to her aristocratic husband’s family.
Marianne is the leader, focused on honoring the memory of her husband and his co-conspirators and ensuring that the women and children understand exactly what their husbands and fathers died for. Benita, naive peasant girl, was sheltered from her husband’s work in the resistance, which makes her more determined to break free from the past and try to find happiness in the years after the war — a desire that puts her at odds with Marianne’s need to record the history of the German resistance. Ania is quiet and capable, becoming the caretaker of the women in terms of food and necessities, but her secrets eventually catch up to her.
The Women in the Castle is among the best World War II novels I’ve read and definitely will have a place on my Best of 2017 list. Jessica Shattuck uses these women, with their different upbringings and experiences before, during, and immediately after the war, to explore what it means to resist, how to rebuild their country and their lives amid a sense of hopelessness and guilt, and how to balance the need to remember the past and be held accountable for their actions with the need to live again. Shattuck paints a complex portrait of women with admirable strengths and deplorable weaknesses.
The novel moves back and forth in time, adding layer upon layer to each of the women’s stories, unraveling their secrets and surprising readers along the way. I grew attached to these women and found at least some small way to connect to them, which made it easier to understand their reasoning for — but not condone — the choices they made in a tumultuous period in history.
The Women in the Castle is a novel that makes you really stop and think. How does one live with the choices they made during wartime, whether to follow orders and commit atrocities, resist, or ignore the evidence of their nation’s crimes? Is it possible, should it even be possible, to move forward without the weight of these crimes, or their failure to do what was right, hanging over them? When is it okay to say it’s time to stop living in the past and move on?
Shattuck follows these women over decades as they forge new bonds and new lives, are forced to acknowledge their actions and inaction, and realize the war follows them in everything they do. It’s a fascinating study of human nature and the will to survive, both the war and its repercussions. If you plan to read at least one World War II novel this year, I highly recommend The Women in the Castle.
Thanks to TLC Book Tours for having me on the tour for The Women in the Castle. Click here to follow the tour.
Disclosure: I received The Women in the Castle from William Morrow for review.
I LOVE stories that center on WWII, especially when it’s a part of history that I am not aware of. In fact, I just finished An Orphan’s Tale by Pam Jenoff about circuses in Germany during the war. Not to mention The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah and a couple of excellent YAs by Ruta Sepetys. So this is going on my TBP list immediately.
LikeLike
I loved The Orphan’s Tale by Jenoff and Between Shades of Gray by Sepetys. I need to read The Nightingale for sure. Thanks for stopping by to check out my review.
LikeLike
This sounds really good.
LikeLike
It was! Days later, and I’m still thinking about it.
LikeLike
Lovely review Anna. I think I am going to add this to my wishlist!
LikeLike
Thanks, Carole! I can’t wait to see what you think of it.
LikeLike
Wow, saying this is one of the best WWII novels you’ve read is saying a lot! It sounds like I need to read this.
LikeLike
It definitely offers a different perspective on the war, and there is so much food for thought.
LikeLike
Thanks once again for a great review. I’ve downloaded to listen on my iPod–hope I like the narrator as much as I like your review! Cheers!
LikeLike
My pleasure! I look forward to seeing what you think of the book.
LikeLike
Wow! So early in 2017 and you’ve already found one of your best books of the year – that’s fantastic!
Thanks for being a part of the tour.
LikeLike
You’re welcome! I’ve read so many WWII novels that by now I know when I’ve found a true gem.
LikeLike
I cannot wait to read this one!
LikeLike
I can’t wait to talk to you about it!
LikeLike
[…] Wednesday, April 5th: Diary of an Eccentric […]
LikeLike
[…] The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck […]
LikeLike
Just stumbled across this blog post – I’m currently reading and really enjoying this novel. Like you, I’ve read quite a few WW II-set books. Another one I read last year and loved was The Wind is Not a River by Brian Payton. Highly recommended!
LikeLike
Hi Anne,
Thanks for stopping by! I’ll have to check out your recommendation.
LikeLike