Source: Review copy from author
Rating: ★★★★☆
She had been naive before, not to see what was happening in Germany. All things that were considered noble — mercy, Christian verities, altruism — had been distorted into forms of weaknesses. Power was not found in love, but in might, in hostility…
In Nazism.
(from Sophia’s War: Lies and Allies, page 182)
[Please note that this book is the second in a series. It is not a standalone book, and while my review will not contain spoilers for the second book, there could be spoilers from the first book.]
Sophia’s War: Lies and Allies is the second book in Stephanie Baumgartner’s series about a young American woman living in Germany during World War II, and it picks up right where the first book, Sophia’s War: The End of Innocence leaves off. Sophia left her home in Virginia to help her great aunt build a library in her home in a small German village, and now that Marelda is gone, Sophia feels it is her duty to make sure the library is successful.
However, without any money of her own, Sophia is beholden to her cousin, Diedrich, who used to be like a brother to her but in the midst of his grief has become cold, unreachable, and even sinister. In order to remain in Germany, Sophia must pose as Marelda, albeit a younger version, speak only in German, and break off her friendship with soldier and war photographer, Adrian. Sophia is willing to comply with the whole Marelda charade, but Adrian was the first person to befriend her in Germany. And as the attraction between them grows, she is unwilling to end their relationship — even when Diedrich’s threats rise to a new level.
Sophia must contend with feelings of isolation, with Diedrich often leaving for long stretches of time without notice; her meddling neighbor, Wilhelmina, who reports a mysterious man peeping in Sophia’s windows; and anger, uncertainty, and fear, as she learns more about Nazism and begins to see it as a real danger. She also struggles for a way to get through to Diedrich, to show that she loves him, even when he is being unreasonable.
Sophia’s War: Lies and Allies is an exciting second book in a series that I hope will continue to be enthralling as the war begins to have more of an impact on Sophia and her new home. I like that Sophia is such a well-drawn character; she’s naive and overly optimistic, but she’s also strong and intuitive. I did want to shake some sense in her when it came to the bargain she made with Diedrich; even when she seemed torn about lying about her identity, she still didn’t seem to understand how dangerous doing such a thing would be in Nazi Germany. I also was surprised that, being an American, no one questioned her accent.
I am really enjoying this series so far. Baumgartner does a great job letting readers into Sophia’s head so they can understand her feelings and motivations. Not only does she explore more deeply the characters that intrigued me the first time around, but she also introduces an assortment of new and interesting characters — from a little boy with cerebral palsy forced to leave his parents to Rolf, Adrian’s soldier friend who seems taken with Sophia and makes me worried for her. Baumgartner leaves enough unanswered questions that I can’t wait to pick up the latest book in the series, Sophia’s War: Stalemate, yet I feel satisfied with how the story progressed in this installment.
Sophia’s War: Lies and Allies is just what the title implies: a tale of the alliances and lies that are forged in the midst of war. But these books are more than just Sophia’s experiences during war. There is a war being fought between her beliefs and those of her cousin and a war within her soul as she struggles with her expectations for romance and the reality of her relationship with Adrian. Baumgartner has only scratched the surface of Sophia’s wartime trials, and the longer she stays in Germany, the more entangled she will become. Sophia is torn between familial and romantic love, and I can’t wait to see where Baumgartner takes her next.
Book 5 for the War Challenge With a Twist (WWII)
Book 6 for the Historical Fiction Challenge
Book 2 for the European Reading Challenge (Germany)
Disclosure: I received Sophia’s War: Lies and Allies from the author for review.
© 2014 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.
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