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City of Women
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City of Women Paperback - 2013

by David R. Gillham

Behind the facade of a model soldier's wife is an entirely different Sigrid. Her tedious existence is turned upside down when she finds herself hiding a mother and her family--whom she believes might be her lover's family--and must make terrifying choices that could cost her everything.


Summary

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AND ONE OF KIRKUS REVIEWS' BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR

It is 1943—the height of the Second World War. With the men away at the front, Berlin has become a city of women.

On the surface, Sigrid Schröder is the model German soldier’s wife: She goes to work every day, does as much with her rations as she can, and dutifully cares for her meddling mother-in-law, all the while ignoring the horrific immoralities of the regime.

But behind this façade is an entirely different Sigrid, a woman of passion who dreams of her former Jewish lover, now lost in the chaos of the war. But Sigrid is not the only one with secrets—she soon finds herself caught between what is right and what is wrong, and what falls somewhere in the shadows between the two . . .

READERS GUIDE INSIDE

From the publisher

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Whom do you trust, whom do you love, and who can be saved? A gripping tale of Berlin in the Second World War, from the author of Annelies. It is 1943--the height of the Second World War. With the men away at the front, Berlin has become a city of women. On the surface, Sigrid Schrder is the model German soldier's wife: She goes to work every day, does as much with her rations as she can, and dutifully cares for her meddling mother-in-law, all the while ignoring the horrific immoralities of the regime. But behind this faade is an entirely different Sigrid, a woman of passion who dreams of her former Jewish lover, now lost in the chaos of the war. But Sigrid is not the only one with secrets--she soon finds herself caught between what is right and what is wrong, and what falls somewhere in the shadows between the two . . .

Details

  • Title City of Women
  • Author David R. Gillham
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition Reprint
  • Pages 448
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Penguin Books, New York
  • Date 2013-05-07
  • ISBN 9780425252963 / 0425252965
  • Weight 0.75 lbs (0.34 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.2 x 5.4 x 1.1 in (20.83 x 13.72 x 2.79 cm)
  • Ages 18 to UP years
  • Grade levels 13 - UP
  • Themes
    • Chronological Period: 1940's
    • Cultural Region: Germany
    • Ethnic Orientation: Jewish
    • Sex & Gender: Feminine
    • Topical: Family
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC

Media reviews

"The writing is a great mix of the literary and commercial, page-turning and suspenseful, with a morally complex, intelligent heroine at its center. If you’re a fan of well-written historical novels in the vein of Ann Patchett’s Bel Canto, this one is for you."--Slate

“If you enjoy beautiful storytelling, gripping suspense, and distractingly romantic plot, this is the book for you! An exciting page-turning read!”—Kathleen Grissom, New York Times bestselling author of The Kitchen House

“A thriller of searing intensity that asks the most urgent of questions—how to love, who to trust, what can be saved in the very darkest of times. I found it utterly compelling.” —Margaret Leroy, New York Times bestselling author of The Soldier’s Wife

“In this moving and masterful debut, David Gillham brings war-torn Berlin to life and reveals the extraordinary mettle of women tested to their limits and beyond. Powerful and piercingly real. You won’t soon forget these characters.”—Paula McLain, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Wife

“[A] stunning debut . . . Transcendent prose.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“As impossible to put down as it is to forget.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"A terrifically tense first novel."—The Times

Citations

  • Entertainment Weekly, 12/27/2013, Page 100

About the author

David R. Gillham is the New York Times-bestselling author of City of Women. He spent more than a decade in the book business, and now lives with his family in western Massachusetts and is currently working on his second novel.
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